Tolly  Trotter 

Patriot 


.„    v. 


POLLY  TROTTER,  PATRIOT 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

tOW  YORK  •    BOSTON  •   CHICAGO  •   DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •   SAN  FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Lmmn> 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY  •   CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  LTD. 

TORONTO 


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5125811 


"Then  I  shall  be  a  Patriot!" 


POLLY  TROTTER 
PATRIOT 


BY 

EMILIE  BENSON  KNIPE 

AND 

ALDEN  ARTHUR  KNIPE 

Authors  of  "A  Maid  of  '76,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

EMILIE  BENSON  KNIPE 


fork 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1919 

All  rights  rtitrutd 


CormsRT,  1916, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  November,  1916. 


XortoonU 
Berwick  &  Smith  Co.,  Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  TAKING  SIDES i 

II  FRIENDS  OR  FOES 8 

III  A  FAREWELL 14 

IV  THE  MOB 24 

V  THE  PLOT 31 

VI  A  NIGHT  ALARM 38 

VII  HIDE-AND-SEEK 44 

VIII  NEWS  FROM  THE  FRONT 51 

IX  THE  GATHERING  STORM 58 

X  A  REUNION 66 

XI  A  MAD  ADVENTURE 73 

XII  THE  SPY'S  MESSENGER 84 

XIII  AT  HEADQUARTERS 92 

XIV  THE  GUARD  AT  THE  DOOR 99 

XV  A  PLEA  AND  A  PROMISE 108 

XVI  A  VOICE  IN  THE  FOG 116 

XVII  THE  LAST  SERVICE 130 

XVIII  INDEPENDENCY 139 

XIX  AFTER  THE  BATTLE 155 

XX  POLLY  TAKES  A  PRISONER 164 

XXI  TRAPPED 175 

XXII  BROTHER  WILL  GIVES  UP 184 


Table  of  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIII  UNDER  FIRE     .     . 193 

XXIV  THE  BRITISH  TAKE  A  PRISONER    .     .     .  204 
XXV    A  FAREWELL 212 

XXVI    UNWELCOME  GUESTS 227 

XXVII    AN  OPEN  DOOR 238 

XXVIII  THE  SCHOOLMASTER  PAYS  A  VISIT     .     .  249 

XXIX    A  PACKET  OF  PILLS 261 

XXX  BETTY  GOES  A-MARKETING      .     .     .     .277 

XXXI  IN  THE  WOODS  ON  HARLEM  HEIGHTS  .     .  294 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  Then  I  shall  be  a  Patriot !  " Frontispiece 

FACING 
FACE 

"  A  spy,"  he  replied  with  a  hint  of  scorn     ....  22 

"Where  have  you  been,  young  miss?" 50 

"  If  you  turn  around  you  will  see  him  " 104 

With  a  glance  about  me  to  make  sure  I  was  unobserved  176 

Seizing  my  hand  he  kissed   it  and   the  next  moment 

passed  quickly  out  of  the  house 226 


Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 


CHAPTER  I 

TAKING  SIDES 

;  FT1O  arms !     To  arms !  " 

The  shout  came  faintly  but  clearly  from 
-*•  far  up  the  Broad  Way,  and  the  chattering 
people  just  leaving  the  Trinity  Church  halted  in 
their  tracks,  for  there  was  that  in  the  hoarse  cry 
that  sealed  every  lip  and  started  all  hearts  to  beat- 
ing faster. 

"News  from  Boston!  To  arms!  To  arms!" 
It  was  nearer  now,  and  presently  there  came  gal- 
loping toward  us  a  single  horseman,  whose  beast 
showed  every  sign  of  hard  riding  and  who  was  him- 
self covered  with  dust  and  clinging  to  his  animal  as 
if  in  great  weariness. 

Passing  the  church  he  turned  down  Wall  Street 
and  called  again. 

"  News  from  Boston !     To  arms !     To  arms !  " 
As  if  at  a  signal  those  on  the  church  steps  moved 
forward,  and- a  buzz  of  anxious  questions  filled  the 
air. 

"  What  can  it  be?  "  "  Have  the  British  sacked 
the  town?  "  "  Heaven  send  'tis  not  another  riot!  " 
"See,  the  man's  stopped!"  "Hasten!  Hasten! 
Let  us  on  and  hear  what  he  has  to  say.  'Tis  no 
good  news  I  warrant." 


2  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

The  words  hummed  about  us,  while  my  brother 
Will  and  I  pressed  on  with  the  others  until  we  burst 
through  the  church  gates  and  so  out  into  the  Broad 
Way.  Here  the  ladies  among  the  congregation 
halted,  for  Wall  Street  was  filling  rapidly  with  a 
noisy  throng  who  crowded  about  the  express  rider 
from  Boston,  pushing  and  jostling  each  other  ex- 
citedly. 

Above  the  clamour  I  caught  the  words,  "  Lex- 
ington farmers  1"  and  "Minute  Men!"  but  could 
make  no  sense  of  it,  and  clutched  Will  by  the 
arm. 

'*  What  is  his  message?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  know  not,"  he  answered,  his  head  turned  to 
catch  the  sounds  from  the  crowd;  "but  there's 
Hamilton,"  he  cried  an  instant  latter.  "  Get  you 
home,  Polly.  This  is  no  place  for  a  maid.  I'll  fol- 
low shortly  with  the  news."  And,  before  I  had 
time  to  protest  he  was  off,  shouldering  his  way  toward 
the  thickest  of  the  press. 

I  paused  for  a  moment,  hoping  for  a  glimpse  of 
the  Mr.  Hamilton  he  had  mentioned,  for  that  name 
was  ever  on  his  lips  of  late  and  I  had  never  seen 
this  new  friend;  but  I  could  not  pick  him  out  and 
turned  up  the  Broad  Way  toward  our  house,  step- 
ping briskly,  for  I  was  anxious  to  return  to  mother 
who  was  alone.  Being  somewhat  of  an  invalid  she 
had  not  felt  able  to  go  to  church  that  morning,  and 
my  father,  Dr.  Trotter,  was  attending  Mr.  Council- 
man Stoddard  who  was  low  with  a  fever. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day,  that  23rd  of  April,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  1775,  though  I  stayed  not  to  en- 
joy the  sunshine  but  hurried  on,  for  I  was  stirred,  as 
was  every  one,  at  the  thought  of  what  this  news 
from  Boston  might  be.  'Twas  not  hard  to  guess 
that  it  had  to  do  with  the  trouble  between  King 


Taking  Sides  3 

George  and  his  subjects  in  America,  because  the 
Massachusetts  Colony  was  ever  first  to  resist  op- 
pression. 

"  Perhaps  they  have  seized  another  tea-ship,"  I 
said  to  myself  as  I  entered  the  house. 

I  found  mother  seated  in  the  surgery,  as  was  her 
wont,  and  I  poured  forth  my  tale  excitedly. 

"  I  heard  the  man  ride  past,"  she  interrupted. 
"  I  fear  'tis  no  good  news  he  bears." 

"  It  fair  mazed  Governor  Golden,"  I  rattled  on. 
"  No  doubt  he  heard  something  little  to  his  taste, 
for  he  glared  at  the  Livingstons  as  if  they  were 
poachers  —  though  he  was  gracious  enough  to  Mr. 
Oliver  Delancy.  He's  not  so  old  but  that  he  can 
tell  a  Whig  from  a  Tory." 

"  Nay,  be  not  disrespectful  of  thy  elders  and  bet- 
ters," said  mother,  looking  up  from  her  Bible,  which 
was  ever  in  her  hand  on  a  Sunday.  "  A  child  should 
not  meddle  in  matters  that  concern  her  not.  You 
are  becoming  very  forward  of  late." 

"  I  am  not  a  child,  mother,"  I  answered.  "  Sure 
I  shall  be  fifteen  in  a  fortnight !  —  And  why  should 
I  not  say  what  is  in  every  one's  mouth?  The 
King  is  trying  to  make  slaves  of  all  the  Colonies 
and—" 

"  Be  silent !  "  cried  my  mother,  in  the  tone  I  knew 
brooked  no  gainsaying.  "  Leave  talk  of  such  things 
to  your  father  and  brother,  and  do  not  speak  on 
subjects  of  which  you  know  naught.  A  political 
female  is  an  abomination  that  I  will  not  countenance 
in  my  family." 

I  turned,  pouting,  to  the  window.  I  saw  no  good 
reason  why  I  should  hold  my  tongue  upon  a  matter 
which  was  the  chief  topic  of  conversation  with  every 
class,  high  or  low,  in  the  city  of  New  York.  In- 
deed, like  my  father  and  brother,  I  was  a  staunch 


4  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Whig  for  there  was  no  lack  of  plain  talk  in  our 
house  where  the  King's  Ministers  were  roundly  cen- 
sured for  their  treatment  of  the  Colonies. 

It  would  have  been  better  for  father  had  he  been 
of  a  different  way  of  thinking,  as  his  practise  was 
among  the  rich,  who  were  mostly  Tories.  Many 
actually  dropped  him  for  a  time ;  but  when  they  were 
downright  ill  'twas  Dr.  Trotter  they  sent  for  in  a 
hurry,  rating  him  roundly  for  the  Whiggish  views, 
which  he  expressed  freely  enough,  yet  glad  to  take 
his  physic  none  the  less. 

Only  from  Roger  Delancy  did  I  hear  aught  of  the 
other  side  of  this  controversy;  and  he,  being  big  and 
strong,  was  not  nimble  witted,  and  was  little  given 
to  argument.  Roger  was  an  orphan  and,  having  no 
real  home  of  his  own,  he  had  come  to  our  house  as 
he  pleased  for  as  long  as  I  could  remember,  and 
was  like  a  brother  to  Will  and  me.  Both  mother 
and  father  liked  him  well  and  spared  no  pains  to 
make  him  welcome;  but  Roger,  being  a  Delancy  I 
suppose,  was  a  Loyalist,  though  he  joked  with  me 
over  the  matter  and  we  never  thought  that  the  time 
could  come  when  politics  would  stand  between  such 
firm  friends. 

As  I  looked  out  of  the  window  father  hurried  up 
the  steps  and  entered  the  house.  He  was  quite  agi- 
tated, as  any  one  could  see,  though  he  tried  his  best 
to  appear  calm. 

He  kissed  mother,  then  putting  aside  his  hat  and 
stick,  he  seated  himself  opposite  her  and  drew  me 
down  upon  the  arm  of  his  chair. 

"You  knew  something  was  a-foot?"  And 
mother  nodded. 

"  They  cried  news  from  Boston,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  'Twas  not  from  Boston,  but  from  Lexington," 
father  continued.  "  A  battalion  of  British  soldiers 


Taking  Sides  £ 

shot  down  seven  and  wounded  nine  of  the  Lexington 
militia." 

Mother  rose  to  her  feet,  her  face  suddenly  gone 
whiter  than  was  its  wont. 

"Shot  them  downl  The  British  soldiers?"  she 
murmured. 

"Ay,  shot  them  down  like  dogs!"  cried  father 
passionately,  all  pretence  of  calm  gone.  "  They 
fired  without  provocation  —  and  now  more  blood 
must  be  shed.  The  Colonies  are  stirring.  Con- 
necticut is  up  and  Massachusetts  has  her  minute  men 
out.  Bissel,  the  man  who  brought  the  news,  though 
nigh  dead  with  fatigue,  is  on  again  with  a  message 
to  the  Jerseys  and  Pennsylvania." 

"And  where  is  New  York?"  I  fair  shouted, 
springing  to  my  feet.  "  Are  we  to  lag  behind 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut?" 

"  Nay,  the  Liberty  Boys  are  out,"  father  an- 
swered. "  Lamb  and  Sears  have  not  missed  so  good 
an  opportunity  to  rant,  you  may  be  sure.  The 
crowd  went  first  to  the  arsenal  where  they  took  six 
hundred  muskets  with  powder  and  ball.  The  Gov- 
ernor has  shut  himself  up  in  the  fort  with  a  hundred 
soldiers  and,  if  he  is  wise,  he  will  stay  there." 

"Good!  Good!"  I  cried  excitedly.  "Would 
that  we  could  shut  up  all  the  red-coats!  " 

"When  I  left,"  father  went  on,  "the  mob  was 
on  its  way  to  the  river  to  unload  vessels  with  sup- 
plies for  Boston.  They  do  not  intend  that  any  food 
or  powder  shall  go  to  Gage  if  they  can  help  it. 
Then,  too,  there  is  much  talk  of  taking  over  the 
government." 

"  Then  it  is  war?  "  mother  asked. 

"  I  see  naught  else  for  it,"  father  replied.  "  This 
massacre  at  Lexington  is  no  riot.  'Tis  war,  unless 
all  signs  fail." 


6  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

;<  Where  is  Lexington,  father?"  I  demanded. 

"  'Tis  some  miles  outside  Boston,  they  tell  me," 
he  explained.  "  'Tis  but  a  village  and  not  well 
known  heretofore,  but  'tis  in  my  mind  that  it  will 
be  as  renowned  in  history  as  any  great  city  in  the 
world." 

"And  are  none  from  New  York  going  to  help 
their  brothers  in  the  Massachusetts?"  inquired 
mother,  and  I  saw  her  eyes  flash  as  she  looked 
searchingly  at  father. 

"  Aye,"  he  began  hesitatingly,  and  started  to  pace 
the  floor. 

"  And  Will  — "  mother's  voice  faltered  for  a  mo- 
ment, but  she  held  herself  as  straight  as  an  arrow. 

"  I've  been  expecting  that  question,"  replied 
father  sadly,  and  he  paused  as  if  he  dreaded  what 
was  to  come. 

"  Nay,  you  need  not  keep  me  in  suspense,"  mother 
insisted,  gently.  "  I  know  he  has  joined  the  militia 
and  means  to  march  to  Boston.  That  is  the  truth 
of  the  matter,  is  it  not?  " 

"  Aye,"  answered  father,  with  a  weary  nod,  "  I 
would  that  you  could  be  spared  the  sorrow  — " 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  have  a  son  of  mine  do 
aught  else?"  cried  mother,  and  her  voice  was  so 
strong  and  ringing  that  I  looked  at  her  in  amaze- 
ment. Father,  too,  stopped  his  restless  walk  and 
gazed  at  her  astonished. 

"  Why  do  you  eye  me  in  that  fashion?  "  mother 
went  on.  "  Think  you  I  would  have  the  boy  a 
coward  and  a  shirker?  " 

"  Nay,"  answered  father,  "  but  'tis  sometimes 
harder  for  those  who  are  left  behind  than  for  those 
who  go  to  the  front,  and  'tis  the  mothers  whose 
hearts  are  most  wrung." 

"  You'll  find  them  brave,  sir,"  she  told  him,  and 


Taking  Sides  7 

then,  turning  to  me,  "  come,  Mary,  you  must  help  me 
prepare  some  necessities  against  your  brother's  jour- 
ney. Come."  And  she  started  toward  the  door. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  sound  of  running  out- 
side and  a  hoarse  cry  came  to  us. 

"  To  arms !     To  arms !  " 

For  a  moment  mother  stood  rigid,  one  hand  go- 
ing to  her  breast  as  if  she  felt  a  pain  there,  then 
she  went  on  resolutely,  while  I  followed  with  a  great 
fear  in  my  heart. 

"  Mother,"  I  began  as  I  reached  the  landing 
above,  "  I  thought  you  cared  naught  for  politics, 
and  now  — " 

"  No  more  I  do,"  she  broke  in  upon  my  speech, 
"  but  war  is  not  politics,  my  daughter,  and  when  a 
people  are  forced  to  fight  for  the  land  they  love 
the  women  must  do  their  share  with  the  men." 

"  But  what  can  a  girl  do,  mother?  "  I  asked. 

"  That  which  comes  to  her  hand  to  do,  child," 
she  made  answer.  "  There  will  be  new  cares,  heavy 
responsibilities,  anxieties  and  heart-aches  a-plenty 
in  store  for  both  of  us.  And  we  must  be  brave  to 
meet  them." 

"  As  brave  as  the  patriots  who  fight  for  their 
country?"  I  murmured,  half  to  myself. 

"  Nay,"  said  mother  with  a  stern  note  in  her  voice, 
"  'tis  not  only  those  who  fight  who  are  the 
patriots,  but  also  those  who  think  first  of  the  land 
of  their  birth  and  are  ready  to  make  sacrifices  for 
it."  • 

"  Then  I  shall  be  a  patriot !  "  I  cried,  carried  away 
by  her  words,  and  mother  took  me  in  her  arms  and 
kissed  me. 


CHAPTER  II 

FRIENDS   OR   FOES 

MOTHER  lost  no  time  in  setting  out  the  cloth- 
ing my  brother  Will  would  stand  most  in 
need  of.  I  was  for  packing  his  finest  suits 
and  neckcloths,  thinking  to  have  him  make  as  brave 
a  show  as  any;  but  she  put  ready  one  stout  home- 
spun, giving  most  attention  to  his  undergarments 
and  stockings,  and  making  a  pile  of  these  which,  to 
my  thinking,  was  out  of  all  proportion  to  his  other 
things. 

"  Sure,  mother,  he  can  at  least  buy  soap  in  Bos- 
ton !  "  I  protested,  as  she  sent  me  off  to  the  store- 
closet  a  second  time  for  an  additional  supply  of  this 
commodity. 

"  Nay,  of  that  I  have  some  doubts,"  she  replied, 
"  and  you  will  do  well  to  remember,  Mary,  that  'tis 
on  no  junket  your  brother  fares  forth.  'Tis  not  his 
appearance  that  most  concerns  us.  Fetch  the  soap." 

We  were  in  the  midst  of  these  preparations  wnen 
the  door  below  opened  and  the  sound  of  voices  talk- 
ing excitedly  reached  us.  A  moment  later  Will  came 
bounding  up  the  stairs  two  at  a  time ;  but  stopped  at 
the  threshold  on  noting  the  clothes  laid  out. 

"  You  are  the  best  of  mothers !  "  he  cried,  cross- 
ing the  room  quickly  and  taking  her  in  his  arms. 
They  stood  thus  for  a  time,  and  then  mother  with- 
drew herself  from  his  embrace. 

"  Did  you  think  I  should  not  be  ready  to  speed 

8 


Friends  or  Foes  9 

my  soldier  son?  "  she  asked,  with  a  brave  smile  on 
her  lips. 

"  I  knew  you  would  not  have  me  shirk  my  duty," 
he  answered  warmly,  "  but  do  come  down  stairs  for 
a  minute.  I  have  brought  a  friend  with  me  whose 
name  will  one  day  be  known  from  the  Massachusetts 
to  Georgia  and  beyond." 

"And  who  is  this  paragon?"  inquired  mother, 
with  a  smile  at  his  enthusiasm. 

"  It  is  Alexander  Hamilton,"  he  replied,  "  the 
young  man  from  the  West  Indies  who  is  teaching 
us  at  King's  College  to  drill.  Please  come." 

"  Take  Mary,"  said  mother,  "  and  make  my  ex- 
cuses to  Mr.  Hamilton.  I  think  I  would  rather  be 
alone  for  the  present." 

Will  was  inclined  to  urge  her  further,  but  she 
shook  her  head  and  he,  understanding  something  of 
what  was  in  her  heart,  gave  her  a  great  hug,  and  a 
moment  later  we  went  down  stairs  together. 

Father  was  called  away  ere  we  reached  the  foot 
of  the  stairs,  so  that  we  found  our  visitor  in  the  sur- 
gery by  himself.  He  stepped  forward  ceremon- 
iously as  Will  made  us  known  to  each  other  and 
greeted  me  with  some  pleasant  words  I  doubt  not, 
though  I  took  not  in  their  meaning,  so  surprised 
was  I  at  the  sight  of  this  gentleman. 

I  curtseyed  low,  having  that  much  wit  left,  but 
held  down  my  head  to  hide  a  laughing  face,  for  to 
tell  the  truth  this  person  over  whom  Will  had  made 
such  an  ado  was  naught  but  a  boy,  scarce  two  years 
older  than  I,  and  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  not  recon- 
cile him  with  the  grand  figure  I  had  pictured  in  my 
mind.  He  was  quite  small,  though,  to  be  sure,  he 
stood  very  erect  so  that  his  shortness  was  little  no- 
ticed. His  face  had  a  ruddy  complection  that  went 
well  with  his  reddish  brown  hair,  and  this  was  my 


io  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

second  surprise  for,  having  often  heard  him  spoken 
of  as  "  the  young  West  Indian,"  I  had  imagined  him 
as  dark  and  swarthy.  His  eyes  were  very  blue, 
bright  and  quick-glancing,  with  a  twinkle  of  run  and 
merriment  in  them;  and  his  movements  were  exceed- 
ingly graceful,  while  he  seemed  to  radiate  a  charm 
that  it  is  impossible  to  convey  in  words.  These 
facts  I  noted  later  when  I  came  to  understand  why 
he  was  so  universally  admired;  but,  for  the  moment, 
I  was  put  to  it  to  control  my  features  and  must  needs 
keep  my  eyes  cast  down  lest  he  should  see  the  laugh- 
ter that  nigh  convulsed  me. 

Ere  I  had  gained  command  of  myself  Will  began 
to  pace  the  floor  and  to  rant  against  the  British  till 
Mr.  Hamilton  laughed  and  begged  him  to  be  quiet. 

"  Sure  Miss  Trotter  can  scarce  be  interested  in 
politics !  "  he  said,  as  he  crossed  the  room  and 
seated  himself  in  a  chair  near  me. 

"  Nay,  she's  as  good  a  patriot  as  any  in  the  land," 
declared  Will,  "  and  can  speak  her  mind  about  it, 
too,  an  the  chance  serves." 

"  I  know  very  little  about  it,"  I  remarked  a  trifle 
shyly. 

"  I  doubt  if  those  who  talk  so  freely  know  any 
more,"  said  Mr.  Hamilton.  "  'Tis  a  vexed  prob- 
lem we  have  to  face." 

We  gossiped  on  till  the  knocker  sounding  on  the 
door  interrupted  us,  and,  for  no  reason,  we  fell 
silent,  listening  to  Sam  as  he  shuffled  along  the  hall 
to  answer  the  summons. 

A  moment  later  we  heard  the  hearty  voice  of 
Roger  Delancy,  and  I  looked  up  with  a  smile  for 
he  was  ever  welcome.  But  I  caught  a  slight  frown 
on  Will's  face  and  Mr.  Hamilton  seemed  to  stiffen. 

"  Oh,  here  you  are,  Will !  "  Roger  cried  out,  com- 
ing into  the  room  without  ceremony.  "  Good-day 


Friends  or  Foes  n 

to  you,  Polly,"  he  went  on,  taking  my  hand,  and 
then  his  eyes  travelled  to  Mr.  Hamilton  and  his 
manner  changed.  "  Oh,  Hamilton,  it's  you,  is  it?  " 

'Twas  not  so  much  what  he  said  but  the  indiffer- 
ent, careless  manner  of  it  that  showed  at  once  that 
there  was  no  love  lost  between  these  two. 

"  I'll  wager  Will's  been  telling  you  this  news 
from  Lexington  and  making  a  mountain  out  of  a 
molehill!  "  Roger  continued  with  a  laugh.  "  Don't 
believe  the  world  is  coming  to  an  end,  Polly,  just 
because  a  lot  of  Massachusetts  farmers  have  gone 
mad." 

"  'Tis  a  madness  your  King  will  not  be  able  to 
cure,"  Will  flashed  out  wrathfully. 

"  Ho,  ho !  "  cried  Roger  cheerfully,  for  he  was 
slow  to  anger  and  moreover  he  loved  Will  as  a 
brother.  "  Isn't  it  a  great  todo  to  make  over  a 
tax  of  thrippence  a  pound  on  tea?  'Tis  but  an  atom 
on  the  shoulders  of  a  giant.  Hey,  Polly?  " 

"  Yet  'tis  a  tax,"  Mr.  Hamilton  put  in  thought- 
fully. "  Parliament  claims  the  right  to  tax  us,  and 
'tis  against  that  principle  we  protest." 

I  noted  that  the  minute  Mr.  Hamilton  spoke  there 
was  a  change  in  Roger. 

"  Ay,  now  you  protest,"  he  said  rather  bitterly, 
"  but  when  the  French  and  Indians  were  at  your 
door;  when  a  few  miles  back  from  the  coast  no 
man's  life  was  safe;  when,  daily,  men,  women  and 
children  were  being  scalped,  you  made  no  protests 
but  begged  the  King  to  save  you.  However,  as  far 
as  this  Colony  in  New  York  is  concerned,  having  no 
charter  it  must  be  subject  to  Parliament  and  the 
King.  About  that  there  can  be  no  argument." 

"No  argument?"  repeated  Mr.  Hamilton,  and 
the  words  seemed  to  echo  through  the  room,  with 
the  scorn  in  them.  "  No  argument?  I  tell  you  the 


12  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

sacred  rights  of  mankind  are  not  to  be  rummaged 
from  among  old  parchments  or  musty  records. 
They  are  written  as  with  a  sunbeam  in  the  whole 
volume  of  human  nature  by  the  hand  of  Divinity 
itself  1" 

"  More  words !  "  retorted  Roger,  with  a  sneer 
upon  his  lips.  "  My  faith !  I  know  not  what  we 
are  coming  to  these  days  when  every  man  talks  of 
'  rights  '  as  if  he  had  done  something  to  earn  them. 
But  I'm  no  lawyer  with  a  river  of  eloquence  to  con- 
fuse right  and  wrong  and  stir  up  hatred  for  all 
government  in  the  hearts  of  ignorant  men.  I  still 
believe  there  is  such  a  thing  as  loyalty.  We  owe  a 
duty  to  the  Crown,  and,  if  blows  are  to  be  struck  you 
will  find  me  with  other  honest  men,  who  count 
neither  the  gain  nor  the  loss  but  are  ready  to  cry 
'  God  Save  the  King '  because  —  well,  because  he  is 
the  king!" 

At  this  Will  burst  out  wrathfully,  but  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton stopped  him. 

"  Nay,  we  have  no  quarrel  with  loyalty,"  he  said, 
and  he  was  the  coolest  one  of  us.  "  I  honour  a 
man  who  stands  by  his  convictions  and  I  would  like 
to  shake  your  hand,  Delancy,  for  a  brave  man 
though  a  mistaken  one." 

He  stepped  forward  and  held  out  his  hand  with 
a  smile  and  his  manner  was  so  engaging  that  I 
thought  no  one  could  resist  him;  but  I  had  not 
counted  upon  Roger,  who,  once  stirred,  cooled 
slowly. 

"  I  do  not  shake  hands  with  rebels  and  traitors ! 
he  said  hotly,  holding  himself  very  straight,  and  Mr. 
Hamilton  flushed  as  if  he  had  been  stung. 

"  Then  you  cannot  shake  my  hand  either !  "  Will 
burst  out  furiously,  "  for  my  opinions  are  the  same 


Friends  or  Foes  13 

—  and  come  what  may  this  house  is  only  for  my 
friends." 

"  Will  I  "  I  exclaimed,  "  you  shall  not  drive  Roger 
from  the  house.  'Tis  no  more  yours  than  mine, 
and  it  has  been  his  second  home  since  he  was  a 
child." 

"  I  beg  you  will  let  me  go,"  Mr.  Hamilton  broke 
in,  and  with  a  bow  he  started  toward  the  door. 

"  I  will  not  have  it  so!  "  Will  protested,  striding 
across  the  room  and  grasping  him  by  the  arm. 
"  You  stay."  And  he  turned  and  faced  Roger. 

The  invitation  was  plain  enough  and  Roger,  a 
little  bewildered,  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  and 
then  without  a  word  left  the  room. 

"  Oh,  Will,  how  could  you  ?  "  I  cried,  and  flew  into 
the  hall.  "  Roger !  Roger !  "  I  called,  "  you  must 
not  go  like  this."  But  I  was  too  late,  for  he  had 
quitted  the  house. 

I  stood  looking  at  the  closed  door,  at  first  scarce 
realizing  what  had  happened;  then  I  ran  upstairs 
to  mother  and  burying  my  head  in  her  lap,  burst 
into  tears. 

"  Will  has  driven  Roger  from  the  house  because 
he  sides  with  the  King!  "  I  sobbed. 

"  'Tis  but  the  beginning,  my  child,"  said  mother 
sadly,  "  in  a  little  we  shall  see  fathers  fighting  against 
sons,  brothers  against  brothers  and  friends  against 
friends.  All  war  is  cruel,  but  civil  war  is  the  most 
cruel  of  all!" 


CHAPTER  III 

A   FAREWELL 

>  |   lIS  needless  to  dwell  upon  Will's  departure 

to  join   the  patriots  who  were   facing  the 

-*•      British  soldiers  at  Boston.     Mother  bore  up 

till  he  was  gone,  but  for  a  day  or  two  thereafter  she 

kept  to  her  room. 

"  I  hope,  Mary  Trotter,"  she  said  to  me  later, 
"  that  you  will  be  a  braver  woman  than  your  mother 
when  you  are  her  age."  And  that  was  the  last  sign 
of  weakness  on  her  part. 

We  soon  had  news  by  express  messenger  that 
Will  was  safely  arrived;  and  our  life  went  on  much 
as  it  had  done  before,  though  the  town  itself  was 
turned  topsy-turvy. 

Since  the  alarm  from  Lexington,  a  Committee  of 
one  hundred  Whiggish  gentlemen  had  taken  charge 
of  the  city's  affairs;  and  the  Governor  kept  to  Fort 
George  from  whence  he  issued  proclamations,  which 
few  took  the  trouble  to  read  and  none  heeded. 

There  was  much  excitement  caused  by  delegates 
from  the  Massachusetts  passing  through  New  York 
on  their  way  to  meet  with  the  Congress  then  assem- 
bling in  Philadelphia,  and  a  great  deal  of  talk  on 
the  Common  near  our  house,  so  that  the  very  air 
was  filled  with  patriotic  sentiments  and  'twas  ex- 
pected that  every  man  should  declare  himself  in  un- 
measured terms. 

Father,  meanwhile,  continued  to  go  about  his  busi- 

14 


A  Farewell  15 

ness  as  he  had  heretofore.  He  was  not  a  politic 
man  and  when  he  was  with  his  Tory  patients  he 
never  scrupled  to  tell  them  that  the  King  was  wrong 
and  his  Ministers  mistaken  in  their  policies  toward 
the  Colonies.  This  was  well  enough,  but  with  the 
Whigs  he  counselled  moderation;  for  he  was  no  ran- 
ter like  Mr.  Sears  or  Mr.  Lamb,  who  called  all  Eng- 
lishmen and  Loyalists  naught  less  than  villains  and 
murderers.  So  it  came  about  that  he  was  loved  by 
neither  party,  though  gentlefolk,  like  the  Living- 
stons and  Jays,  knew  that  there  was  no  better  pa- 
triot in  the  Colonies. 

Yet  father,  though  he  cared  naught  for  the  opin- 
ions of  any  man,  was  not  so  ready  to  laugh  and  joke 
as  had  been  his  custom  but  was  silent  and  thought- 
ful, often  sitting  with  a  wrinkled  brow,  or  pacing 
the  room  restlessly. 

"  Would  you  like  to  be  in  Cambridge,  William?  " 
mother  asked  one  day,  as  he  walked  restlessly  up  and 
down  the  surgery  after  dinner. 

"  I  would  do  my  part  for  the  country,"  he  re- 
plied, stopping  before  her.  'Tis  the  wish  of  every 
man  who  is  worthy  of  the  name, —  and  surgeons  are 
much  needed  in  the  army." 

"  I  would  not  hold  you  from  your  duty,"  said 
mother,  in  a  firm  voice. 

"  I  have  always  known  that,"  he  answered,  tak- 
ing up  his  walk  again,  "  for  though  you  say  little 
your  heart  is  as  staunch  for  the  cause  as  that  of 
the  noisiest  patriot  who  fills  our  ears  with  his  bom- 
bast." 

"  Mary  and  I  and  the  servants  can  manage  well 
enough,  if  need  be,"  mother  urged. 

"  Nay,  do  not  tempt  me,"  father  cried.  "  I  have 
a  duty  to  you  and  Polly.  Beside,  there  are  other 
ways  to  serve  the  cause  than  by  fighting." 


1 6  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  They  give  you  small  chance  here,"  mother  re- 
torted. 

"  Ay,  that's  only  too  true,"  he  agreed.  "  'Tis 
somewhat  galling  to  be  thought  a  trimmer.  How- 
ever, it  may  all  blow  over.  There's  talk  in  Parlia- 
ment of  a  reconciliation." 

"  Nay,  hold  out  no  false  hopes,"  replied  mother. 
"  You  neither  believe  nor  wish  that  it  should  blow 
over.  Let  us  not  deceive  ourselves  nor  bolster  up 
our  hearts  in  that  fashion.  To  face  a  battle  is  half 
way  to  winning  it." 

"  Didst  read  that  in  one  of  Dr.  Franklin's 
books?"  asked  father  with  a  smile.  "You  have 
ever  some  sage  saw  of  his  upon  your  tongue." 

"  He  is  the  wisest  man  in  the  Colonies,"  mother 
vowed  with  some  asperity,  for  father  was  apt  to 
poke  sly  fun  at  her  taste  for  the  writings  of  Benja- 
min Franklin,  who  was  well  known  throughout  the 
Americas. 

"  Oh,  I  grant  you  he  is  wise,"  said  father,  with 
a  smile,  "  but  'tis  beyond  nature  to  expect  any  man 
to  have  full  knowledge  of  all  the  subjects  under  the 
sun.  Indeed  he  has  some  rare  notions  upon  the 
art  of  medicine  which,  were  they  followed,  would  be 
ruinous  to  patients  and  doctors  alike.  Upon  other 
subjects  I  cannot  judge  the  man;  but  he  has  a  novel 
way  of  saying  things,  and  to  my  thinking  'tis  how 
he  puts  the  matter,  rather  than  the  matter  itself, 
that  makes  his  converts." 

"  He  is  a  good  patriot !  "  said  mother,  with  con- 
viction. 

"  Ay,  there  you're  right ! "  agreed  father. 
"  There  is  no  better.  And  in  most  things  I  accept 
his  policy,  though  he  is  more  forbearing  than  I 
would  be  in  his  place." 

Father,  as  he  often  did  when  the  talk  was  not 


A  Farewell  17 

to  his  liking,  had  changed  the  subject  with  the  men- 
tion of  Doctor  Franklin;  but  the  question  of  his 
going  to  Boston  was  reverted  to  now  and  then,  and 
each  time  he  would  shake  his  head  "  No,"  until  I 
supposed  it  settled.  But  mother  and  he  must  have 
talked  of  it  in  private,  and  I  have  no  doubt  she  con- 
tinued to  urge  him  to  go  and  put  his  skill  at  the 
service  of  his  country.  Yet  he  held  to  his  resolve 
not  to  leave  us,  and  would  have  kept  to  it  alto- 
gether had  not  affairs  shaped  themselves  in  a  very 
unexpected  way. 

I  missed  Roger  more  than  I  had  realized  I  would. 
His  comings  and  goings  had  become  so  familiar 
that  only  when  they  ceased  did  I  understand  how 
large  a  part  they  had  played  in  my  daily  life.  Noth- 
ing had  been  heard  of  him,  and  we  all  were  wor- 
ried on  his  account;  for  we  knew  that  he  would  be 
just  as  stubborn  in  his  Loyalist  principles  as  Will  or 
Mr.  Hamilton  were  in  their  Whig  ones.  So,  when 
we  heard  of  the  Liberty  Boyd  baiting  Tories  and 
riding  them  on  rails,  we  could  not  but  feel  anxious 
for  fear  that,  sooner  or  later,  Roger  might  be  a  vic- 
tim. But,  though  I  fretted  more  than  a  little  that 
he  came  not  near  us  I  hoped,  at  the  same  time,  that 
he  had  gone  away,  (as  had  many  who  were  of  his 
way  of  thinking),  and  so  was  safe,  at  least  from 
this  sort  of  violence. 

One  afternoon,  however,  old  Sam  came  slowly 
up  the  stairs  and  shuffled  into  the  room  where  mother 
and  I  busied  ourselves  with  the  family  mending. 

"  Marse  Roger's  down  on  the  stoop  wantin'  to 
see  Miss  Polly,"  he  announced,  evidently  much  dis- 
turbed about  something. 

My  heart  gave  a  bound  of  pleasure  at  the  news, 
and  I  jumped  to  my  feet,  ready  to  run  down  to 
him. 


1 8  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"Didn't  you  ask  Mr.  Delancy  in?"  inquired 
mother. 

"  'Deed  I  did,  Mistis,  but  he  wouldn't  come  no- 
how. Said  he'd  wait  there  to  see  Miss  Polly,"  Sam 
explained,  much  scandalized.  "  I  'clare  I  don't  know 
what's  happened  to  the  gentry  these  days." 

But  mother  and  I  understood,  and  after  a  minute 
of  thought  she  bade  me  to  him. 

"  Tell  him  I  wish  to  see  him,  Mary,"  she  in- 
sisted. "  'Tis  silly  a  misunderstanding  between  two 
boys  should  come  to  such  a  pass." 

I  ran  down  as  fast  as  I  could  and  found  Roger 
waiting  on  the  steps  outside. 

"  I'm  so  glad  you've  come,"  I  cried,  giving  him  my 
hand.  "  We  thought  you  had  forgot  all  about  us." 

"  Nay,  you  didn't  really  believe  I  would  go  away 
without  seeing  you,"  he  answered  soberly,  though 
I  could  tell  he  was  glad  to  be  with  me  again.  His 
words  were  very  solemn  and  struck  a  little  chill  to  my 
heart. 

"  Are  you  going  away,  Roger?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  to-day.     I'm  off  to  Boston,"  he  answered. 

'  To  Boston?  "  I  echoed,  surprised. 

"  Yes,  to  join  the  army,"  he  explained. 

"  Oh !  "  I  exclaimed,  delightedly,  for  there  was 
but  one  army  in  my  mind.  "  Then  you've  come 
round  to  our  way  of  thinking  after  all?  " 

Roger  shook  his  head  sadly. 

"  No,  Polly,  I  haven't  changed,  though  I  wish  I 
could  and  be  honest  with  myself."  He  hesitated, 
then  went  on.  "  'Tis  the  other  army  I'm  going  to 
join." 

At  last  I  understood.  He  and  my  brother  Will, 
fast  friends  from  their  babyhood,  would  be  on  op- 
posite sides,  each  trying  to  do  all  in  his  power  to 
injure  the  other.  My  spirit  faltered  for  a  moment 


A  Farewell  19 

as  I  realized  that,  whatever  the  outcome  of  the 
struggle,  between  my  fondness  for  my  best  friend 
Roger  and  my  love  for  Will  I  should  know  no  rest 
from  anxiety. 

"  Don't  look  like  that,  Polly,"  Roger  begged. 
"  I'll  not  go,  an  you  say  the  word." 

"  Come  inside,"  I  murmured.  "  We  can't  stay 
here  talking,  and  mother  wants  to  see  you." 

"  You  know  I  can't  come  in,"  he  answered  stub- 
bornly. "  Will  and  I  must  shake  hands  before  I 
enter  your  house  again  —  and  who  knows  if  that 
will  ever  happen  now?  Though  we  are  commanded 
to  forgive  our  enemies  we  are  nowhere  commanded 
to  forgive  our  friends." 

It  was  plain  that  he  was  much  distressed  and  in- 
deed it  was  a  hard  position  for  both  of  us. 

"  Mother  thinks  it  silly  to  take  the  thing  so 
seriously,"  I  urged.  "  The  house  is  not  Will's, 
and  —  " 

"  Don't  let's  talk  any  more  about  it,"  he  inter- 
rupted. "  I  hoped  you'd  take  a  little  walk  with  me 
for  the  sake  of  old  times.  Will  you?  " 

I  was  willing  enough  to  do  what  he  asked,  but 
mother's  permission  was  necessary  and  I  knew  she 
would  scarce  like  my  strolling  about  the  City  with 
Roger,  considering  the  state  of  disorder  that  then 
existed. 

"  I  doubt  if  mother  will  let  me,"  I  replied. 

"  Beg  her,"  he  urged  earnestly.  "  Tell  her  I  am 
leaving  town  and  —  and  I  don't  know  when  I'll  see 
any  of  you  again.  Oh,  Polly,  if  she  only  knew  how 
I've  missed  coming  here  to  the  only  real  home  I've 
ever  had,  Madam  Trotter  would  let  you  go  a  little 
way." 

"  I'll  ask  her,"  I  answered,  and  ran  upstairs,  leav- 
ing him  on  the  stoop. 


20  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Mother  heard  me,  her  face  grave;  and,  though  I 
scarce  told  her  more  than  the  bare  facts,  adding 
that  I  should  like  to  go  if  she  would  permit;  it  didn't 
need  many  words  from  me  to  show  how  anxious  I 
was  to  see  even  that  little  of  Roger  before  he  left. 

She  thought  for  a  time  before  she  answered  and 
then,  very  sweetly  as  if  she  knew  all  that  was  in  my 
heart  and  sympathized,  she  gave  her  permission. 

"  I  shall  be  anxious  till  you  are  back,"  she  added. 
"  Do  not  go  farther  than  the  Mall  in  front  of  Trinity 
Church." 

I  kissed  her  for  thanks  and  hurried  to  my  room 
for  a  hat. 

"  Good!  "  cried  Roger,  when  he  saw  me  ready  to 
walk  with  him.  "  Give  my  love  to  your  dear,  kind 
mother  for  letting  you  come.  She's  always  been 
like  a  mother  to  me." 

We  started  down  the  Broad  Way  and  I  was  glad 
to  find  that  there  were  few  people  abroad.  Indeed 
New  York  was  already  deserted  by  a  good  many  of 
its  inhabitants  and  closed  houses  were  on  every  hand. 

Roger  asked  about  Will  and  how  he  fared  in 
Cambridge,  and  showed  no  resentment  toward  him 
for  their  quarrel,  saying  that  it  was  the  result  of 
the  upset  condition  of  affairs,  which  he  confessed 
he  didn't  pretend  to  understand. 

"  It's  all  come  about  with  a  flux  of  talk  by  these 
lawyer  fellows  like  Hamilton,"  he  declared  ve- 
hemently, and  would  have  gone  on,  but  that  I 
stopped  him. 

"  You  mustn't  say  things  against  Mr.  Hamilton," 
I  interrupted. 

He  looked  down  at  me  earnestly  for  a  moment 
before  replying. 

"You're  not  forgetting  old  friends  for  new?" 
he  asked  anxiously. 


A  Farewell  21 

"  Nay,  you  know  that  I  am  not,"  I  told  him.  "  I 
have  not  seen  him  since  the  day  of  the  quarrel,  nor 
do  I  care  greatly  if  I  do  not  see  him  again,  but  I  do 
not  think  you  met  him  courteously.  He  was  fair  to 
you,  and  respected  your  opinions  even  though  he 
didn't  agree  with  them." 

"Yes,  I'll  give  him  credit  for  that,"  admitted 
Roger,  with  a  huge  sigh,  as  if  he  would  rather  have 
done  otherwise,  "  but  don't  let's  talk  about  him.  I 
want  you  to  know  that  I  have  been  wracking  my 
stupid  brains  over  this  business,  trying  to  see  my  way 
clear.  Here  am  I,  a  great,  big,  hulking  fellow,  do- 
ing naught  while  better  men  are  going  to  the  front. 
I  can't  help  being  a  Loyalist.  Nor  can  I  think  that 
the  King  is  aught  but  the  King.  I  suppose  it  is  in 
the  blood  of  a  Delancy  to  be  for  the  Crown.  Why 
even  the  Whigs  would  laugh  at  the  idea  of  a  Whig 
Delancy!  My  cousin  is  training  a  troop  of  horses. 
My  uncle  is  Tryon's  chief  adviser,  though  you 
needn't  cry  the  news  just  yet  —  and  every  member 
of  my  family  is  loyal.  Beside,  whatever  the  talk 
may  be,  no  matter  how  just  the  cause  against  the 
government  may  seem,  I  do  not  think  it  right  to 
take  up  arms  against  the  King.  I've  tried  to  hold 
with  the  other  side  —  your  side  and  Will's  and  your 
father's, —  but  I  can't  and  be  honest." 

"  If  you  can't  you  can't,"  I  answer  regretfully, 
"  and  we  like  you  none  the  less  for  your  opinions, 
but — "  I  stopped,  hesitating. 

"  But  you  think  it  is  unnecessary  that  I  should 
fight  at  all?  Is  that  it?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  I  nodded  in  reply. 

"Would  you  have  me  seem  a  trimmer,  Polly?" 
he  questioned.  "  A  scurvy  fellow  who  calculates  to 
be  on  the  winning  side  no  matter  what  the  outcome  ? 
You  wouldn't  want  me  to  be  like  that?  " 


22  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"No,"  I  replied,  "  only  —  only  — "  but  I  broke 
off  again  not  knowing  what  to  say,  for  indeed  there 
seemed  no  way  out  of  the  difficulty. 

'Tis  one  thing  or  the  other,"  he  declared,  and 
I  felt  that  he  was  right.  "  All  that  has  kept  me 
from  going  long  ago  is  what  you  would  think  of 
me.  Whether,  if  I  went,  we  must  cease  to  be 
friends?" 

I  was  about  to  answer  when  a  shabby,  shuffling 
fellow  sidled  up  beside  Roger.  He  was  a  shifty 
little  man  with  a  face  like  a  weasel  which,  though 
I  caught  but  a  momentary  glimpse  of  it,  was  not  to 
be  forgotten  easily. 

"  The  boat  is  ready  and  sails  at  once,"  he  whis- 
pered. "  They  sent  me  for  you  and  will  wait  ten 
minutes.  The  mob's  out  looking  for  Tories,  so 
you'd  better  hasten  if  you  would  get  safely  away." 

He  did  not  stop  but  shuffled  on,  so  that  it  would 
not  appear  that  he  was  having  aught  to  do  with 
us. 

"Who  is  he?"  I  asked  Roger,  who  was  staring 
after  the  retreating  figure. 

"  A  spy,"  he  replied  with  a  hint  of  scorn. 

"  And  what  did  he  mean?  " 

"  That  I  had  ten  minutes  to  catch  the  boat  that 
is  to  carry  some  of  us  who  are  going  secretly  to 
Boston,"  he  answered.  "  Tell  me,"  he  went  on 
earnestly,  "  shall  I  go  or  stay?  " 

"You  must  decide  that  for  yourself,"  I  replied. 

"  Will  you  think  the  less  of  me?  "  he  asked  anx- 
iously. 

"  Nay,"  I  assured  him,  "  Never!  " 

"And  we  shall  be  friends,  whatever  happens?" 

"  Always !  I  hope  always !  "  I  cried,  and  gave 
him  my  hand. 


"  A  spy,"  he  replied  with  a  hint  of  scorn. 


A  Farewell  23 

"  Oh,  Polly,  Polly,"  he  murmured,  "  why  do  these 
things  come  to  plague  us?  " 

"  Do  not  waste  time  in  talk."  I  interrupted. 
"  You  must  be  off  to  your  boat  or  you  will  miss 
it." 

"  I  must  see  you  home  first,"  he  said,  taking  a 
step  in  that  direction. 

"  Nay,  that  is  not  necessary,"  I  assured  him. 
"  'Tis  not  far,  and  no  one  will  molest  a  maid." 

He  hesitated  a  moment,  but  I  insisted  that  he  go 
at  once,  for  indeed  there  was  no  time  to  spare. 

"  God  bless  you,  Polly,"  he  said  at  last,  in  a 
broken  voice.  "  Don't  forget  all  about  me  or  think 
hardly  of  me  because  of  this  wretched  war." 

I  could  not  speak  but  gave  him  my  hand  and  he, 
understanding,  took  it  and,  as  he  bowed,  kissed  it 
and  was  gone. 

I  watched  him  for  a  moment  or  two  until  he  dis- 
appeared down  one  of  the  streets  leading  to  the 
water,  and  then  turned  toward  home,  scarce  having 
any  thoughts  in  my  head  for  the  great  ache  in  my 
breast.  It  might  well  be  that  I  should  never  see 
Roger  again. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE   MOB 

>  |  iWAS  not  until  I  had  walked  to  within  a 
few  blocks  of  the  house  that  I  became  aware 
-•-  of  a  multitude  of  people  thronging  the 
streets  ahead  of  me.  I  quickened  my  pace,  a  little 
frighted,  wondering  where  they  could  have  come 
from  all  of  a  minute;  and  as  I  neared  them  I  caught 
the  ominous  hum,  hum  of  their  voices.  There  was 
something  so  menacing  in  the  sound  of  it  that  my 
heart  doubled  its  beating  though  I  knew  not  then 
that  this  demonstration  was  to  touch  me. 

At  length,  rising  above  the  murmur  of  the  crowd 
came  a  sharp  cry  that  drove  the  blood  from  my  face 
and  brought  me  to  a  stop  trembling. 

"  The  Tory  Doctor !  Have  out  the  Tory  Doc- 
tor!" 

In  a  moment  the  shout  was  caught  up  by  the  mob 
till  the  roar  of  it  filled  the  streets,  and  I  was  nigh 
to  falling  as  I  realized  that,  so  close  to  our  home, 
it  could  mean  but  one  thing.  Father  was  the  "  Tory 
Doctor  "  they  threatened,  and  for  an  instant  I  looked 
about  me  helplessly.  Then,  summoning  all  my 
strength,  I  determined  to  run  ahead  and  warn  him. 

But  the  mob  was  between  me  and  the  house,  gath- 
ering in  numbers  as  it  went  along  until  it  blocked 
the  street,  and  I  saw  at  once  that  it  would  be  use- 
less for  me  to  attempt  to  break  through  it.  I  must 
go  around  it  and,  lifting  my  skirts,  I  started  on  a 
run. 


The  Mob  25 

Turning  down  John  Street  toward  Golden  Hill  I 
won  to  Nassau,  which  was  but  a  block  from  the  back 
of  our  house.  Once  there  I  sped  on,  caring  naught 
for  those  who  looked  at  me  curiously,  thinking  only 
of  father  and  the  peril  he  was  in.  At  length  I  gained 
the  garden  door  through  which  I  flew  and  so  into 
the  hall. 

But  I  was  too  late.  Even  as  I  entered  I  heard 
a  new  note  in  the  hoarse  roar  of  the  throng  in  the 
street.  A  stone  crashed  through  the  front  window, 
then  came  the  vindictive  howl  of  a  maddened  crowd. 

"  Bring  out  the  Tory  Doctor !  Down  with  all 
Loyalists !  " 

At  this  moment  father,  his  face  white  and  de- 
termined, looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the 
left  so  that  he  passed  without  seeing  me,  strode  to 
the  door,  flung  it  open  and  in  a  mighty  voice  shouted, 
"Stand  back!" 

And  I,  who  pressed  behind  him,  saw  those  on  the 
steps  give  way  as  he  faced  them  and,  for  the  mo- 
ment, cowed  them  to  silence;  but  'twas  only  for  a 
moment.  Those  in  the  rear  pushed  forward  and 
again  a  shout  went  up. 

"  Take  the  Tory  Doctor !  A  rail !  A  rail  for 
the  traitor !  " 

I  shrank  against  the  wall  and  hid  my  face  in  my 
hands,  shuddering  at  the  sight  of  that  angry  sea 
of  scowling  faces  before  me. 

I  was  affrighted,  and  with  good  cause;  but  father 
fronted  the  mob  unflinchingly,  with  a  look  of  scorn 
on  his  face.  He  was  no  coward,  and  for  the  time 
being  his  courage  in  standing  before  them  gained 
him  a  certain  respect  from  the  better  element  in  the 
assembly. 

"  Hear  what  he  has  to  say,"  one  shouted.  "  Per- 
chance he's  not  so  black  as  he's  painted." 


26  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Ay,  let  him  speak,"  cried  another.  And  al- 
though there  were  murmurs  against  it,  this  senti- 
ment prevailed. 

It  would  have  been  better  had  father  spoken  words 
of  conciliation,  seeing  how  great  were  the  odds 
against  him;  but  'twas  not  his  way. 

"  You're  a  pack  of  cowards !  "  he  cried  at  the 
top  of  his  voice,  so  that  every  one  heard  him.  "  And 
like  cowards  you  hunt  in  packs !  " 

At  this,  angry  cries  rose  again,  and  a  huge  fellow 
in  the  front  cried  out,  "  Take  the  Tory  trimmer !  " 

"Ah,  'tis  you,  Jem  Smith!  "  Father  pointed  at 
the  man.  "  'Tis  like  you  to  howl  down  one  to 
whom  you  owe  a  debt.  I  warrant  your  wife  doesn't 
know  your  errand,  for  she  has  some  gratitude  even 
though  you  have  none.  Have  you  forgot  how  you 
came  begging  me  to  save  her  life  when  she  was  ill 
with  the  pox  and  you  had  fled  the  house  fearing  you 
might  take  it?  Have  you  forgot  that,  you  pol- 
troon?" 

The  man  hung  his  head  in  shame,  but  father's 
words  had  little  effect  upon  the  others  and  once  more 
the  cry  went  up. 

"A  rail  1     Ride  him  on  a  rail!" 

"And  are  you  there,  too,  Joe  Sadler?"  father 
shouted,  indicating  a  man  wearing  a  leathern  apron. 
"  Have  you  come  to  thank  me  for  saving  your  son 
or  to  pay  my  fee  ?  'Tis  a  good  year  or  more  you've 
owed  it,  and  you're  a  man  of  property." 

And  so,  one  after  another,  he  picked  out  half  a 
score  among  the  throng,  but  though  it  held  them  for 
a  time  'twas  plain  the  crowd  was  bent  on  mischief. 
Finally  a  husky  fellow  named  Briggs,  a  cooper  by 
trade  and  an  honest  though  a  stupid  man,  stepped 
forward. 

"  Have  done,  doctor !  "  he  shouted.     "  We're  not 


The  Mob  27 

here  to  settle  private  debts  but  public  ones.  'Tis 
where  you  stand  in  the  Cause  that  concerns  us.  Are 
you  a  patriot  or  are  you  the  Tory  traitor  they  say 
you  are  ?  " 

"  You  know  well  enough,"  father  answered 
boldly.  "  And  'tis  not  that  brings  you  here.  You 
mean  to  try  to  force  me  to  leave  sick  folk  to  die 
if  perchance  they  are  not  of  your  way  of  thinking. 
You  want  to  be  the  keepers  of  my  conscience.  You 
want  me  to  pledge  myself  not  to  physic  Tories. 
That's  it,  isn't  it?" 

"  Ay, —  to  show  your  loyalty  to  the  cause,"  an- 
swered Briggs.  "  There's  a  many  who  pretend  to 
be  with  us,  who  traffic  secretly  with  the  Governor. 
'Tis  bandied  about  that  you  are  one  of  these.  But 
say  the  word  that  you  will  let  the  King's  men  find 
their  own  physic  and  we'll  leave  you  in  peace.  'Tis 
your  duty  to  the  Cause,  for  if  the  Tories  die  'tis  no 
more  than  they  deserve.  The  fewer  such  the  better 
is  my  motto." 

He  stopped  and  there  were  murmurs  of  approval 
throughout  the  throng,  hushed  of  a  sudden  to  hear 
father's  answer.  'Twas  plain  that  he  had  but  to 
promise  he  would  not  attend  Loyalists  and  they 
would  be  as  ready  to  cheer  him  as  they  were  to  ex- 
ecrate him. 

There  was  a  moment's  quiet  while  father  looked 
down  upon  them  ere  he  replied,  and  I  hoped  he  was 
making  up  his  mind  to  do  as  they  wished;  but  that 
there  was  no  such  thought  in  his  head  his  words  soon 
showed. 

"  No  man  nor  mob  of  men,"  he  began,  "  nor  King, 
nor  Prince,  nor  Potentate,  shall  tell  me  my  duty  to 
those  who  need  the  relief  my  poor  skill  can  give 
them.  I've  said  often  enough  that  I  am  for  the 
cause  of  liberty  in  these  Colonies,  and  if  you  think 


28  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

to  force  me  to  play  the  Levite  and  pass  by  on  the 
other  side  because,  perchance,  a  sick  one  is  not  of 
my  way  of  politics,  you  have  mistook  your  man.  I 
tell  you  now,  to  your  faces,  that  I  care  not  whether 
he  be  rich  or  poor,  Whig  or  Tory,  and  he  be  ill,  I 
shall  do  what  I  can  to  ease  his  sufferings !  " 

At  first,  as  father's  words  rang  out,  I  thought  they 
would  disperse.  'Twas  hard  to  believe  there  were 
any  who  could  doubt  his  honesty ;  but  those  who  owed 
him  most  began  to  murmur  that  he  was  defying 
them,  and  soon  the  clamour  to  take  him  was  re- 
newed, the  rear  ranks  pressed  forward,  and  for  a 
moment  it  looked  as  if  a  rush  was  about  to  be  made. 
I,  cowering  in  the  doorway,  cried  out  to  father  to 
come  into  the  house;  and  turning,  he  saw  that  I 
was  there  behind  him. 

"  Go  in!"  he  commanded.  "This  is  no  place 
for  you."  And  he  stepped  back  to  push  me  within. 

The  crowd,  seeing  this,  evidently  took  it  for  a 
move  on  his  part  to  escape  inside,  and  at  once  an 
angry  shout  arose  that  brought  my  heart  to  my 
throat,  while  half  a  dozen  men  sprang  up  the  steps 
to  take  him.  I  made  sure  it  was  all  over  when  be- 
tween us  and  the  advancing  mob,  there  leaped  a  fig- 
ure with  up-raised  arms. 

"Back!  Back!"  he  shouted,  his  voice  ringing 
high  above  the  noise.  "  Is  it  thus  you  would  bring 
disgrace  upon  the  cause  of  liberty  of  which  you  pro- 
fess to  be  such  strong  champions?  " 

As  if  by  magic  the  men  stopped,  then  retreated 
till  the  steps  were  cleared. 

"  'Tis  young  Hamilton !  "  cried  one,  and  the 
words  were  taken  up  eagerly. 

"Give  us  a  speech.  We'll  listen!"  called  an- 
other, and  strange  as  it  may  seem  their  anger  ap- 
peared to  melt  away  at  the  sight  of  this  young  man 


The  Mob  29 

who,  from  the  moment  he  began  to  speak  to  them, 
controlled  that  sullen  mob  as  a  skilful  driver  man- 
ages a  fractious  horse. 

I  remember  little  of  what  he  said,  but  he  scolded 
them  and  made  them  laugh  alternately,  so  that  at  the 
end,  when  he  pledged  himself  for  father's  patriotism, 
they  gave  him  three  cheers.  Then,  still  more  sur- 
prising, they  cheered  father,  too.  After  that  they 
started  off  slowly,  laughing  and  joking  among  them- 
selves. 

Smilingly  Mr.  Hamilton  turned  to  us. 

"  'Tis  a  queer  animal,  the  mob,"  he  said  lightly, 
as  he  bowed  to  me.  "  'Tis  hard  to  tell  whether  it 
will  fawn  on  you  or  destroy  you.  And  what  will  it 
do,  sir,  when  it  has  the  reins  of  government  in  its 
own  teeth?  'Tis  a  matter  for  much  thought." 

Behind  his  careless  manner  was  a  seriousness  that 
father  seemed  to  understand  better  than  I. 

"  You're  right,  Mr.  Hamilton,"  he  nodded  sol- 
emnly in  agreement.  "  We  may  be  exchanging  a 
King  for  a  worse  tyrant  in  our  fight  for  liberty. 
But  that  is  for  the  future.  For  the  present  I  have 
to  thank  you  for  saving  me  from  a  rough  handling 
or  worse." 

"  'Twas  naught!"  cried  Mr.  Hamilton  with  a 
laugh.  "  I  am  glad  chance  brought  me  this  way. 
But  if  aught  I  have  done  has  been  of  service  to  you 
I  pray  you  remember  it  when,  mayhap,  you  are  prob- 
ing for  a  British  bullet  under  my  skin.  It  will  not 
be  long  before  we  are  all  at  the  front,  serving  the 
Cause,  and  there  will  be  much  need  of  surgeons." 

At  that  moment  mother  called  and  father,  with  a 
word  of  excuse  to  Mr.  Hamilton,  went  inside  to  re- 
lieve her  anxieties. 

"  Won't  you  come  within?  "  I  begged.  "  I  want 
to  thank  you  for  helping  my  father." 


30  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Now  that's  good  of  you,  Miss  Trotter,"  he 
said  with  his  winning  smile.  "  I  thought  your  feel- 
ings would  hardly  be  friendly  considering  that  I 
was  the  occasion  of  the  quarrel  whereby  Mr.  De- 
lancy  was  forbid  your  house." 

"  Nay,  Mr.  Hamilton,  you  were  not  the  cause  of 
it,"  I  replied,  for  I  had  never  blamed  him  for  that 
wretched  affair. 

"  Yet  it  would  not  have  happened  but  for  me," 
he  insisted. 

"  It  was  bound  to  happen,  I'm  afraid,"  I  pro- 
tested. "  Roger  was  certain  to  be  on  the  other  side, 
and  the  break  must  have  come  sooner  or  later.  Pray 
believe  that  I  do  not  hold  you  guilty." 

"  I'm  right  glad  to  hear  you  say  so !  "  he  ex- 
claimed. 

"  Please  come  in,"  I  suggested  again,  for  I  felt 
sure  mother  would  like  to  say  a  word  of  apprecia- 
tion to  him. 

"  While  one  friend  is  barred  from  the  house, 
Miss  Trotter,  I  think  'tis  fitting  that  the  other  stay 
away,"  he  persisted.  "  I  must  do  some  penance  for 
the  share  I  had  in  that  quarrel;  but,  when  it  is  made 
up,  I  shall  jump  right  gladly  at  your  invitation." 
And  with  that,  saluting  me,  he  ran  down  the  steps 
and  walked  away  swiftly. 

For  a  moment  or  two  I  looked  after  him,  noting 
his  gallant  figure  as  he  swung  off  along  the  street 
and  my  cheeks  flushed  with  shame  as  I  remembered 
that  I  had  once  laughed  at  Mr.  Alexander  Hamilton. 

Within  the  house  I  found  mother  again  urging 
father  to  start  forthwith  for  Cambridge;  but  he 
would  not,  vowing  he  was  not  to  be  driven,  though 
he  did  promise  that  he  would  not  go  out  of  his 
way  to  antagonize  the  reckless,  unthinking  members 
of  his  own  party. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    PLOT 

AFTER  this  our  lives  went  on  for  a  time  much 
as  before,  while  the  affairs  of  the  country  be- 
came more  and  more  involved.     Every  one 
began  to  realize  that  the  conflict  which  had  flamed 
up  of  a  sudden  was  not  to  die  down,  but  to  mount 
higher  and  higher  until  the   Colonies  were  either 
consumed   or   independence   gained.     For  by   now 
that  word  began  to  be  in  the  mouths  of  all  Whigs. 

But  this  pother  and  talk  was  not  for  mother  and 
me.  We  waited  anxiously  day  by  day,  for  the  news 
from  Boston  knowing  that  sooner  or  later  a  battle 
must  be  fought,  but  dreading  the  outcome.  And  at 
last  an  express  messenger  brought  tidings  of  a  vic- 
tory for  the  minute-men  and  volunteers  at  a  place 
called  Bunker's  Hill. 

At  once  there  was  great  rejoicing  through  the 
city,  in  that  our  men  had  faced  the  veterans  of  the 
British  army  and  defeated  them.  Bells  were  rung, 
fires  lighted,  and  altogether  there  was  a  deal  of 
excitement;  but,  underneath  the  enthusiasm,  was  the 
dread  of  what  was  in  store  when  the  list  of  those 
killed  should  reach  us. 

Then,  little  by  little,  further  reports  filtered 
through  from  Cambridge  which  were  not  so  cheer- 
ing; for  though  we  had  in  a  way  won  a  victory,  yet 
in  the  end,  the  British  had  taken  the  hill,  and  many 
had  died  on  both  sides. 

31 


32  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

As  for  me  I  could  not  find  it  in  me  to  do  aught 
but  grieve.  Between  anxiety  for  my  brother  Will 
and  a  scarce  less  concern  for  Roger  Delancy,  my 
feelings  were  like  to  be  torn  no  matter  what  the 
news  might  be. 

Mother  said  little,  but  a  sudden  sounding  of  the 
knocker,  or  the  clatter  of  an  express  rider  galloping 
past  the  house,  brought  a  look  of  painful  suspense 
into  her  face,  and  'twas  easy  to  see  that  her  thoughts 
were  ever  with  her  soldier  son  in  the  Massachusetts. 

At  length  our  anxiety  was  relieved  by  a  message 
from  Will  himself,  in  which  he  complained  most 
bitterly  that  his  company  had  been  held  back  and 
he  had  seen  none  of  the  fighting.  It  was  a  great 
load  off  our  minds  but  there  remained  another  from 
whom  we  had  no  word  nor  were  like  to  have  any, 
for  he  was  fighting  on  the  other  side.  I  knew 
Roger  would  not  shirk  his  duty.  How  had  he  fared 
on  the  bloody  field  of  battle?  I  longed  to  learn 
if  he,  too,  were  safe  yet  there  was  no  way  for  me 
to  seek  tidings  of  him  and  somehow,  the  more  I 
pondered  the  matter,  the  more  convinced  I  became 
that  I  should  never  see  him  again. 

Meanwhile,  about  this  time,  General  George 
Washington,  a  gentleman  from  the  Colony  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  had  been  appointed  Commander-in-Chief 
of  our  army,  entered  the  city  on  his  way  to  Cam- 
bridge. His  coming  led  to  no  little  embarrassment 
on  the  part  of  the  New  York  Congress,  for  Mr. 
Tryon,  but  lately  come  from  England,  was  still  the 
Governor  of  the  State  in  the  eyes  of  the  Law;  though 
to  be  sure,  he  was  not  yet  landed,  but  lay  on  a  ship 
in  the  harbour  awaiting  a  public  welcome.  This 
had  been  arranged  for  on  the  same  day  Mr.  Wash- 
ington arrived.  And,  as  it  would  not  do  for  these 
two  to  meet,  separate  escorts  had  to  be  provided, 


The  Plot  33 

which  complicated  matters  vastly;  yet  as  it  turned 
out,  all  went  well. 

Mother  and  I,  standing  at  a  window,  watched 
General  Washington  as  he  rode  past  our  house  down 
the  Broad  Way  in  an  open  phaeton  drawn  by  white 
horses.  Although  he  was  seated  I  judged  him  to 
be  as  tall  as  Roger,  and  learned  later  that  I  was 
right.  He  was  dressed  very  elegantly  in  a  uniform 
of  blue  with  a  purple  sash,  and  had  a  long  plume 
of  feathers  in  his  hat.  Altogether  he  made  a  most 
impressive  appearance  and  I  felt  that  never  be- 
fore had  I  seen  so  splendid  a  man. 

"  He  is  like  a  king!  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  answered  mother  beside  me.  "  Yes,  but 
more  than  that.  He  is  like  a  good  king !  " 

And  that  indeed  was  true. 

'Twas  a  long  time  ere  I  saw  General  Washington 
again,  for  he  left  the  city  very  shortly,  but  of  the 
other  new  arrival,  Governor  Tryon,  I  was  to  see 
and  hear  a-plenty.  His  return  made  a  decided  dif- 
ference in  the  life  about  us,  for  he  was  not  one  to 
sit  and  do  naught  if  he  could  help  it,  and  the  disre- 
gard of  his  deputy's  orders  and  proclamations  was 
very  galling  to  a  man  of  his  disposition.  He  was 
much  disliked  by  all  save  his  intimates  and  was  sus- 
pected, with  reason  doubtless,  of  plotting  with  the 
Tories.  This  led  to  a  resumption  of  the  former 
outrages,  for  the  mob  calling  themselves  Liberty 
Boys,  again  went  out  on  the  hunt  for  Loyalists  and 
many  prominent  men,  some  quite  innocent  father 
declared,  were  forced  to  leave  the  city,  abandoning 
all  their  goods. 

This  of  course  revived  mother's  anxiety  on 
father's  account,  and  he  confessed,  laughing  all  the 
while  and  making  light  of  the  matter,  that  he  had 
met  scowling  looks  on  his  way  about  town. 


34  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

One  very  hot  Sunday,  mother,  father  and  I 
walked  to  the  Trinity  church  for  the  morning  serv- 
ice; but,  upon  reaching  there,  I  found  myself  feel- 
ing ill,  and,  on  my  telling  father,  he  advised  me  to 
sit  in  the  shade  outside  until  I  should  recover.  So 
I  went  into  the  grove  of  oaks  and  yews  in  the 
church-yard  to  a  favourite  tree  of  mine,  whose  roots 
made  a  comfortable  and  inconspicuous  seat  at  the 
foot  of  the  huge  trunk.  Hidden  there  I  watched 
the  people  collect  for  the  service,  and  at  length 
every  one  was  in,  including  the  few  who  are  always 
late. 

My  head  ached  quite  severely  and  I  rested  it  in 
my  hands,  hoping  that  the  pain  would  stop. 

I  had  not  been  there  very  long  when  I  heard  the 
voice  of  a  man  speaking  on  the  other  side  of  the 
tree  at  the  foot  of  which  I  was  seated. 

"We  can  talk  here,"  he  remarked.  "  When  I 
have  aught  to  say  which  I  wish  kept  secret,  I  come 
out  into  the  open  where  I  can  gaze  about  me.  Here 
there  are  no  doors  to  hide  a  spy;  and,  as  things  are 
now,  I  look  to  find  a  servant  listening  at  every  key- 
hole." 

"  Then  let  us  to  business,"  said  another  voice, 
hard  and  stern.  "  You  have  something  to  propose. 
Let's  have  it  without  too  many  words." 

"  I  shall  come  to  the  point  at  once,  Your  Excel- 
lency," the  other  answered,  and  the  murmur  of  his 
voice  continued,  but  I  heard  not,  being  for  the  mo- 
ment too  astounded,  for  his  "  Excellency  "  could  be 
none  other  than  Governor  Tryon. 

"  'Tis  a  lesson  they  need,"  were  the  next  words 
I  heard.  "  Something  to  sober  them.  I  vow  that 
a  pestiferous  Whig  hanging  from  a  gibbet  on  the 
walls  of  the  fort  would  put  some  sense  in  the  rest." 

"  I  have  thought  of  hanging,  you  may  be  sure," 


The  Plot  35 

said  the  Governor,  in  his  harsh,  grating  voice,  "  and 
dearly  would  I  love  to  see  a  round  score  of  them 
so  dangling;  but  to  tell  you  the  truth  I  dare  not! 
Had  I  the  force  needed  to  protect  us,  then  I'd  be 
quick  enough  about  it,  but  until  we  have  more  troops 
here  I  cannot  risk  it." 

"  I  think  Your  Excellency  does  not  catch  my  mean- 
ing," the  other  broke  in.  "  'Tis  true  there  would 
be  a  risk  with  certain  of  them.  Were  it  Sears  or 
Lamb,  you  would  have  the  rabble  about  your  ears 
in  no  time  —  and  do  little  good  withal  as  their  in- 
fluence is  already  on  the  wane,  while  men  like  Liv- 
ingston are  leading  the  more  thoughtful.  It  is  that 
tendency  I  would  strive  to  stop.  The  better  Whigs 
are  influencing  the  Loyalists  more  than  you  guess, 
and  'tis  one  of  their  number  that  would  make  a  fine 
show  swinging  from  a  gibbet  and  bring  the  waver- 
ing to  toss  up  their  caps  for  the  King.  'Tis  not  the 
rabble  we  wish  to  influence  but  the  solid  men  of  the 
city." 

"  Ay,  true  enough,"  replied  the  Governor,  "  but 
I  dare  not  touch  one  of  their  Committee  of  One 
Hundred." 

"  That  will  not  be  necessary,"  said  the  other. 
"  There  is  one  who  will  serve  your  purpose  admir- 
ably and  still  not  inflame  the  mob  sufficiently  to 
cause  you  trouble.  I  speak  of  Dr.  Trotter." 

As  the  man,  whoever  he  was  uttered  my  father's 
name  I  thought  I  should  cry  out  in  terror,  but  I 
controlled  myself  and  shrank  back  against  the  tree, 
trembling. 

"  The  man  Trotter  wouldn't  do,"  His  Excellency 
demurred.  "  'Tis  well  known  that  his  own  party 
deem  him  a  Tory." 

"  Ay,"  was  the  answer,  "  but  will  they  continue 
to  say  that  if  you  hang  him?  I  think  not.  They 


36  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

will  cry  his  name  aloud  as  a  martyred  patriot.  But 
they  love  him  not,  and  would  scarce  face  your  sol- 
diers for  him.  Thus,  you  see,  you  would  teach 
your  lesson  and  still  be  in  no  great  danger  from  the 
mob." 

"  Humph  I  "  muttered  the  Governor,  evidently 
musing  over  the  matter.  "  What  you  say  has  more 
than  a  little  in  it.  He  could  be  taken  privately, 
brought  into  the  fort  and  tried.  Humph!  'Tis  a 
pretty  plan,  and  as  you  suggest,  it  would  have  all  the 
advantages  of  a  stern  lesson  to  the  waverers  and  yet 
not  bring  down  the  rabble.  Come.  I'll  think  it 
over."  And  they  moved  off,  never  suspecting  I  was 
near. 

I  stayed  hid  until  I  was  certain  they  were  out  of 
the  way,  then  stole  into  the  church,  all  thought  of 
myself  forgotten  as  I  realized  father's  peril. 

Yet  when  I  reached  our  pew  it  became  plain  that 
it  would  be  wiser  to  wait  until  we  were  at  home  ere 
I  told  my  tale.  So  I  sat  with  what  patience  I  could 
muster,  wondering  how  men  could  plot  such  a  wick- 
edness within  earshot  of  that  beautiful  and  holy 
service. 

It  seemed  an  eternity  ere  we  were  behind  our  own 
doors  again  and  I  could  speak.  I  watched  father 
as  I  recounted  my  experience,  and  saw  his  face  draw 
into  stern  lines  when  he  had  heard  me  out. 

"  On  my  word!  "  he  cried  at  the  end.  "  I  think 
there  is  a  conspiracy  to  drive  me  out  of  town." 

"  And  would  it  not  be  better  that  you  should  go?  " 
mother  suggested,  earnestly. 

"  No,"  he  answered,  shortly,  stepping  restlessly 
across  the  floor. 

"  'Tis  what  you  most  desire  in  your  heart," 
mother  insisted,  "  and  if  — " 

"  But  I  shall  not  be  driven  away,"  father  broke 


The  Plot  37 

in.  "  I  am  not  to  be  frighted  by  the  wild  schemes 
of  His  Excellency,  Governor  Tryon." 

And  there  the  matter  ended,  for  father,  though 
he  might  long  to  be  with  the  army  in  Cambridge,  was 
too  angered  at  the  time  to  think  of  aught  but  re- 
sentment against  those  who  plotted  his  life.  He 
went  about  his  duties  stubbornly  for  the  rest  of  that 
day,  and,  in  my  hearing  at  least,  no  further  word 
was  spoken  on  the  subject. 

I  went  to  bed  that  night  and  lay  a  while  trying 
to  puzzle  out  how  it  came  about  that  a  King  in  Eng- 
land could  bring  so  much  trouble  to  a  girl  in  New 
York,  but  I  was  fast  asleep  before  I  found  an  an- 
swer. 

Some  hours  later  I  awoke  with  a  start  and,  hardly 
conscious  of  what  I  did,  sprang  from  my  bed  and  ran 
to  the  window.  Evidently  it  was  an  unusual  noise 
in  the  street  that  had  roused  me  and,  as  I  looked 
out,  the  cause  of  it  was  plain  enough.  There,  be- 
low me  in  the  moonlight,  stood  a  score  or  more 
of  British  soldiers  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  house 
and,  at  sight  of  them,  some  words  I  had  overheard 
that  morning  popped  into  my  head. 

"  He  could  be  taken  privately."  That  was  what 
the  Governor  had  said,  and  he  had  wasted  no  time 
in  executing  his  cruel  plan. 

With  a  little  sob  of  despair  I  ran  to  warn  father 
of  his  danger. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   NIGHT  ALARM 

MOTHER  and  father  slept  in  a  chamber  at 
the   rear   of   the   house.     They   were   not 
likely  to  have  been  aroused  by  Governor 
Tryon's  soldiery,  so  down  the  stairs  I  flew  in  my 
night-rail,   thinking   of   naught  but  the   peril   that 
threatened. 

"Mother!  Mother!"  I  called  softly,  tapping 
on  the  locked  door,  which  she  opened  almost  in- 
stantly. 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked  anxiously.  "Art  ill, 
child?" 

"  The  British  soldiers  have  come  to  take  father  1  " 
I  gasped,  stuttering  out  what  I  had  seen,  and  to- 
gether we  tiptoed  to  a  front  window.  There  were 
the  scarlet  uniforms,  plain  enough  in  the  moonlight 
that  glittered  on  the  muskets  in  the  men's  hands. 
As  we  peeped  forth  an  officer  mounted  the  stoop, 
and  an  instant  later  the  sharp  sound  of  a  knock 
upon  the  door  echoed  through  the  house. 

"Oh,  what  shall  we  do,  mother?"  I  cried. 
"  They  will  hang  father  if  he  doesn't  escape.  Come, 
we  must  warn  him  quickly." 

"  Nay,  he  is  not  within,"  she  said  calmly. 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  I  asked,  only  half  relieved. 

"  He  was  called  out  an  hour  since  to  see  Mrs. 
Patchen  who  is  ill,"  replied  mother. 

For  an  instant  I  could  have  laughed  for  joy,  sure 
that  father  was  safe,  and  then  another  thought  came 
to  plague  me. 

38 


A  Night  Alarm  39 

"  He  may  come  back  at  any  moment,"  I  faltered. 

"  Ay,  I'm  thinking  of  that,"  she  said,  anxiously, 
while  again  there  came  a  knocking  at  the  door. 

Mother  seemed  in  two  minds  what  to  do,  then  she 
spoke. 

u  Upstairs  with  you  and  dress  as  fast  as  you  can. 
You  must  run  out  the  back  way  and  speed  to  Mr. 
Patchen.  Tell  your  father  to  leave  the  city  at  once. 
I  shall  expect  him  to  join  General  Washington's 
army  as  he  has  long  wished  to  do.  Assure  him  that 
we  shall  be  safe,  and  say  I  desire  him  to  go." 

I  hastened  to  do  her  bidding  without  thought  of 
aught  but  father's  danger,  and  though  my  fingers 
trembled  and  it  was  a  hard  matter  to  make  but- 
tons and  button-holes  meet,  I  was  ready  ere  long 
and  hurried  down  stairs,  flinging  a  cloak  over  my 
shoulders  as  I  went. 

The  continuous  banging  on  the  door  had  ceased, 
and  in  the  lower  hall  I  passed  mother,  arrayed  in 
a  dressing-gown,  confronting  two  officers  who  were 
backed  by  several  soldiers. 

They  demanded  father,  nor  would  they  believe 
mother  when  she  said  he  was  not  within,  but  in- 
sisted upon  searching  the  house. 

This  she  at  once  permitted  them  to  do,  hoping 
no  doubt,  that  they  would  depart  quickly  after  a 
vain  hunt. 

Meanwhile  I  slipped  unnoticed  to  the  back  porch 
and  ran  across  the  yard  to  the  door  at  the  rear. 
Breathlessly  I  tore  at  the  fastenings  and  in  a  mo- 
ment had  it  open.  With  a  sigh  of  relief  I  stepped 
out,  plump  into  the  hands  of  a  soldier  placed  there 
to  guard  it.  Why  it  had  not  occurred  to  mother  or 
me  that  they  would  surround  the  house  I  know  not; 
but  there  they  were,  and  I  was  caught. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  young  woman?  "  the  man 


40  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

asked  with  a  chuckle,  as  he  seized  my  arm  —  and  1 
knew  not  what  to  tell  him.  It  would  be  absurd  to 
say  I  was  going  out  to  buy  anything  at  that  hour 
of  the  night,  and  besides  it  would  be  a  lie,  and  that 
I  hated;  so  I  answered  naught,  but  stood  awkwardly 
waiting. 

"  Go  back  again,"  he  said,  giving  me  a  push  to- 
ward the  gate.  But  I  would  not  enter  of  my  own  will 
so  he  was  obliged  to  force  me  inside,  and,  drawing 
the  door  shut,  called  to  me  that  he  would  be  there 
until  ordered  away. 

I  knew  not  what  to  do  next.  As  I  looked  up  at 
the  house  I  saw  lights  flashed  here  and  there  through 
the  rooms,  showing  that  the  soldiers  were  searching 
thoroughly,  and  the  thought  that  father  might  re- 
turn at  any  moment  only  to  run  into  their  clutches 
nigh  crazed  me. 

Even  then,  perchance,  he  might  be  hurrying  home, 
unsuspecting  of  the  perils  he  was  approaching.  He 
must  be  warned  and  there  was  none  but  I  to  do  it. 
Yet,  with  guards  at  the  back  and  front,  all  escape 
seemed  to  be  cut  off. 

Fair  desperate,  I  clambered  up  the  wall  at  the 
point  farthest  from  the  door,  hoping  against  hope. 
But  there  was  another  soldier  standing  in  the  shadow 
of  a  tree  and  I  dropped  back  with  a  sob  of  despair. 

Clearly  I  could  not  escape  by  that  route  and  I 
ran  in  to  mother,  trusting  that  she  might  devise 
some  other  plan. 

But  when  she  saw  me  her  face  went  pale. 

"  Why  have  you  not  gone?  "  she  asked  in  a  tense 
voice. 

"  There  are  soldiers  at  the  back,"  I  answered. 
"  I  tried  —  indeed  I  did,  mother,  but  they  would  not 
let  me  pass." 


A  Night  Alarm  41 

"  Then  he  is  lost !  "  mother  murmured. 

"  There  must  be  some  way  I  can  get  to  him,"  I 
insisted,  almost  in  tears.  "  Some  way,  mother, — 
but  I  can't  think  how." 

She  was  scarce  listening  to  me  and  kept  shaking 
her  head  from  side  to  side  in  anguish.  "  He  is 
lost !  "  she  muttered,  over  and  over  again. 

This  made  me  frantic,  and  with  a  wild  idea  of 
dashing  through  the  guards  I  ran  to  the  front  door. 

"  They'll  not  shoot  a  maid,"  I  said  to  myself,  de- 
termined to  risk  everything  to  be  free. 

But  the  matter  was  not  so  easily  solved  as  that. 
True  I  passed  the  first  man,  who  was  surprised  by 
my  sudden  rush,  but  behind  him  was  another,  while 
in  the  street  were  half  a  score,  so  ere  I  had  reached 
the  bottom  of  the  steps  I  was  seized. 

In  desperation  I  struggled  for  a  moment,  but  it 
was  useless. 

"  Hold  hard,  Missy,"  said  the  soldier  who  gripped 
me.  "  'Tis  no  use  to  wiggle  that  way.  Thou'lt 
only  hurt  thyself  and  do  no  good." 

He  spoke  in  a  kindly  tone,  and  indeed  no  one 
treated  me  roughly. 

"  What  dost  want?  "  asked  another. 

"  To  get  away,"  I  replied. 

"  Oh,  ay,"  he  said  with  a  grin,  "  that  I  believe, 
but  why?  That's  the  meat  in  the  nut." 

"  I  don't  like  British  soldiers,"  I  mumbled,  twist- 
ing in  his  grasp. 

"  Nay,  then  thou  canst  go  back  into  the  house. 
There  are  fewer  there  than  here."  He  pushed  me 
up  the  steps.  But  I  wished  not  to  return  and  con- 
tinued my  struggles  so  that  he  had  some  difficulty, 
for  he  disliked  hurting  me  and  'twas  not  so  easy  to 
use  me  gently  when  I  resisted. 


42  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

In  the  midst  of  this  one  of  the  officers  appeared 
at  the  door  and,  seeing  what  was  going  forward, 
came  down  to  us. 

"What's  all  this?"  he  demanded,  at  which  the 
soldier  released  me  and  I  stood  beside  them. 

"  The  lass  is  keen  to  run  away,  sir,"  the  private 
answered  with  a  salute,  "  and,  having  orders  to  let 
no  one  out,  I  held  her." 

"  Quite  right,"  said  the  officer,  and  turned  to  me. 
"  And  why  did  you  wish  to  go  out?  "  he  questioned 
most  politely. 

"  I  shall  not  tell  you,"  I  replied  angrily,  for  I 
saw  all  chance  of  reaching  father  cut  off,  and  felt 
like  weeping. 

"  Nay,  now,  be  not  pettish  over  it,"  said  the  young 
officer  with  a  laugh.  "  You  may  go,  an  it  pleases 
you." 

For  an  instant  I  thought  he  was  making  a  mock 
of  me. 

"  Can  I  really  go?  "  I  asked,  all  my  gloom  van- 
ishing. 

"  Why  surely,"  he  replied  briskly.  "  'Tis  not 
our  way  to  stop  a  maiden  walking  in  the  moonlight. 
But  they  say  'tis  not  healthy  — " 

I  know  not  how  much  longer  he  talked  in  the 
same  strain,  for  I  was  off  like  a  bullet,  thinking  of 
naught  but  of  hastening  to  warn  father. 

Down  the  Broad  Way  I  went,  not  meeting  a  soul, 
and  hurrying  along  as  fast  as  my  legs  would  carry 
me.  It  was  some  distance  to  Mr.  Patchen's  house, 
and  a  pain  in  my  side  soon  brought  my  run  to  a 
walk;  but  for  all  that  I  hastened  on,  and  was  mak- 
ing fair  time.  At  Wall  Street  I  was  in  two  minds 
whether  to  turn  there  or  go  on  to  the  Bowling  Green, 
the  distance  being  about  the  same  either  along  that 
street  or  by  Beaver  Street,  further  down,  for  Mr. 


A  Night  Alarm  43 

Patchen  lived  on  Smith  Street  overlooking  Hanover 
Square. 

I  halted  a  moment  to  catch  my  breath,  and  some 
fortunate  chance  made  me  glance  over  my  shoulder. 
With  no  particular  thought,  my  eye  lit  on  two  fig- 
ures a  short  distance  behind  me,  but  scarce  did  more 
than  note  that  they  were  the  first  persons  I  had  seen 
abroad  since  I  had  left  home. 

I  turned  into  Wall  Street,  having  concluded  that 
if  father  should  leave  Mr.  Patchen's  he  would  take 
that  way,  but  this  was  only  a  hope  for  I  knew  that 
there  were  several  other  roads  he  might  go  equally 
well.  The  thought  that  I  might  miss  him  spurred 
me  on  and,  in  spite  of  the  pain  in  my  side,  I  pushed 
ahead,  increasing  my  speed  to  the  utmost. 

As  I  passed  the  City  Hall  I  thought  I  heard  foot- 
steps behind  me,  and  looking  back,  I  recognized  the 
two  figures  I  had  seen  on  the  Broad  Way.  Then  for 
the  first  time  it  flashed  over  me  that  I  had  played  the 
fool.  I  was  being  followed  in  order  that  I  might 
lead  the  soldiers  to  the  one  they  sought.  The  offi- 
cer who  had  been  so  ready  to  let  me  depart,  having 
found  that  father  was  not  in  the  house,  and  guess- 
ing easily  enough  why  I  was  desirous  of  being  gone, 
had  let  me  have  my  way  in  order  to  trail  me  to  his 
quarry. 

I  stopped  running,  bringing  my  pace  down  to  a 
rapid  walk  and  at  the  same  time  taking  care  to  note 
whether  those  behind  me  did  the  same.  Yes,  as  I 
slowed  so  did  they,  and  any  doubt  I  might  have  had 
that  they  were  following  me  was  dispelled. 


CHAPTER  VII 

HIDE-AND-SEEK 

1WAS  at  my  wits'  end  now  to  know  what  to 
do.  Each  step  I  took  only  brought  father's 
enemies  nearer  to  him,  and  for  him  this  was  a 
matter  of  life  and  death.  My  first  thought  was  to 
make  a  wide  circuit  away  from  Mr.  Patchen's  house 
and  so  lead  them  on  a  false  scent.  But  this  would 
not  serve  my  purpose,  for  unless  he  was  warned, 
sooner  or  later  (if  indeed  he  had  not  already  done 
so)  father  would  return  home  where  other  soldiers, 
doubtless,  would  be  awaiting  him.  I  was  in  a  cleft 
stick,  as  the  saying  is.  It  seemed  impossible  to  put 
father  on  his  guard  without  betraying  him,  and  yet 
were  he  not  warned  he  would  surely  be  taken. 

Clearly  there  was  only  one  thing  to  do.  I  must 
elude  those  who  followed  me  and  then  win  back  to 
the  Patchens',  trusting  that  father  would  still  be 
there.  This  seemed  a  slim  chance  however  I  viewed 
the  matter,  but  I  could  devise  no  better  plan  so  I 
immediately  tried  to  put  it  into  practice. 

When  I  came  to  Smith  Street,  where  I  should  have 
turned  to  my  right  to  go  through  Hanover  Square, 
I  wheeled  in  the  opposite  direction  and  at  the  top 
of  my  speed  raced  for  Queen  Street.  Up  this  1 
went  toward  Broad,  without  any  plan  in  my  head 
except  to  hurry  all  I  could  until  I  came  to  the  new 
Dutch  Church.  On  impulse  I  ran  across  the  little 
square  upon  which  it  is  situated  to  the  gate  in  the 
paling  fence,  only  to  find  it  locked.  But  this  was 

44 


Hide-and-Seek  45 

no  time  for  hesitation,  and  feeling  that  my  sole 
chance  to  outwit  my  pursuers  lay  in  hiding  in  the 
church-yard,  I  scrambled  over  the  fence  as  best  I 
could,  tearing  my  frock  and  some  skin  off  my  hands 
as  well.  Of  these  things  I  took  no  thought  but 
made  for  the  shadows,  and,  gasping  for  breath, 
cowered  down  in  the  angle  formed  by  the  church 
wall  and  the  steps. 

I  hadn't  long  to  wait.  In  a  moment  the  men  came 
running  and  stopped  in  the  open  square  not  far 
from  me. 

"  Which  way  went  she?  "  said  one,  peering  about 
him  in  all  directions.  "  Plague  on  the  wretched 
lights  in  this  town.  'Tis  as  dark  as  the  inside  of 
an  oven !  " 

All  this  while  they  were  scurrying  here  and  there, 
looking  up  one  street  and  down  another  for  a  glimpse 
of  my  flying  petticoats;  but  seeing  naught  of  me, 
they  came  to  a  stop  before  the  gate. 

"  She's  give'  us  the  slip,"  said  the  one  who  had  not 
spoken  before.  "  Faith  'twill  be  a  fine  jest  they'll 
make  of  us,  to  be  diddled  by  a  maid !  "  And  he 
laughed  lightly. 

"  Nay,  'tis  no  laughing  matter,"  growled  the 
other.  "  The  Governor  will  be  ill  pleased  if  we 
do  not  catch  this  doctor.  His  heart  is  set  on  it,  and 
to  my  thinking  he  is  right.  A  hanging  will  bring 
these  rebels  to  their  senses  quicker  than  all  the  proc- 
lamations that  ever  were  wrote. —  Could  she  have 
gone  in  here?  "  he  ended,  shaking  the  gate. 

"  Nay,  'tis  locked,  and  no  girl  in  farthingale  and 
petticoats  could  climb  that  fence  " ;  said  the  more 
good-natured  of  the  two.  "  Besides  'tis  a  church- 
yard, full  of  ghosts  and  goblins.  Come  on,  we  may 
as  well  return,  though  I  hanker  not  for  the  reception 
we  are  like  to  get." 


46  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

The  surly  man  demurred  at  this,  shaking  the  gate 
the  while. 

"  At  any  rate  I'll  take  a  turn  within,"  he  said 
at  length,  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  words  he  be- 
gan to  climb. 

I  lay  huddled  beside  the  steps  trembling  with  fear 
for  the  outcome.  And  as  I  saw  the  man's  head  top- 
ping the  fence  against  the  lighter  colour  of  the  sky, 
I  lost  hope  and  felt  certain  they  must  find  me. 

I  heard  the  thud  as  he  landed  in  the  church-yard. 
Surely  in  a  few  moments  now  I  must  be  discovered, 
for  though  I  could  not  see  him  once  he  had  dropped 
within,  I  could  hear  him  draw  nearer  and  nearer, 
all  the  while  muttering  to  himself. 

"  She  may  be  here,  right  enough,"  he  called  back 
to  his  companion,  "  but  I  haven't  cat's  eyes  and 
'twill  be  hard  to  glimpse  here.  'Tis  a  pity  we  didn't 
bring  a  lanthorn,"  he  added. 

"  Nay,  but  wait,"  said  his  comrade,  "  that's  easy 
righted.  I'll  over  the  street  and  take  one  of  those 
hanging  before  the  houses." 

"  Ay,  well  thought  of!  "  cried  my  pursuer,  and  I 
heard  the  other  clatter  across  Queen  Street  where  in 
front  of  every  seventh  house  there  hung  a  lanthorn. 
Very  shortly  he  was  back  swinging  the  light  before 
him,  and  a  moment  later  he  had  lifted  it  over  to  his 
comrade.  Now  indeed  was  my  state  desperate.  I 
knew  I  must  be  found,  but  instinctively  I  shrank  close 
against  the  boards  forming  the  walls  of  the  struc- 
ture which  supported  the  steps  into  the  church. 

On  came  the  swinging  light,  on  to  the  corner  where 
I  huddled,  and  'twas  a  question  of  seconds  when  it 
must  flash  into  my  hiding-place  and  show  me  at  the 
feet  of  him  who  held  it.  Again  I  pressed  back, 
striving  to  make  myself  as  small  as  might  be,  and 
as  I  did  so  the  boards  behind  me  yielded.  With- 


Hide-and-Seek  47 

out  waiting  to  consider  what  might  befall  me,  I 
pushed  harder,  turning  at  the  same  time,  and  dis- 
covered a  small  door  opening  into  a  space  beneath 
the  steps.  An  instant  later  I  was  inside,  closing  the 
door  softly  behind  me,  and  even  as  I  shut  it  the 
lanthorn-light  flashed  into  the  shadow  where  a  mo- 
ment before  I  had  cowered.  I  trembled  lest  the 
man  should  discover  the  entrance  to  my  shelter,  but 
I  was  soon  relieved  of  this  anxiety,  for  the  light 
which  came  through  the  cracks  passed  on  and  dis- 
appeared. 

I  listened  for  what  seemed  like  an  eternity  as  the 
trooper  tramped  about  the  yard,  but  at  length  I 
heard  him  speak  to  his  companion. 

"  She  isn't  here,  so  we  may  as  well  be  off,"  he 
called  out,  so  loudly  that,  though  I  felt  a  great  re- 
lief, it  yet  seemed  strange  to  me  that  he  should  raise 
his  voice  when  his  companion  was  so  near  him. 

Then  I  waited  for  their  retreating  foot-steps,  but, 
hearing  naught,  I  peeped  cautiously  through  a  crack 
in  the  door,  and  there  the  men  still  were,  one  in- 
side and  one  outside  the  fence,  neither  making  a 
move  to  leave.  The  trick  was  plain.  They  had 
hoped  I  was  within  earshot  and  would  incautiously 
show  myself,  and  their  ruse  had  nigh  succeeded  for 
I  was  wild  to  be  on  my  errand. 

For  some  long  moments  I  watched  them  stand- 
ing there  motionless,  but  at  last  he  without  lifted  his 
head  and  chuckled. 

"  She  isn't  here,"  he  said,  "  or  if  she  is  we  don't 
know  it.  Come  along.  We  may  as  well  go  back 
and  face  our  wigging.  No  doubt  the  jade  has 
warned  her  father  ere  this  and  he  is  safe  beyond  our 
reach." 

They  bickered  a  little  longer,  but  finally  the  man 
in  the  yard  climbed  back  over  the  fence  and  I  saw 


48  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

them  move  off  toward  the  Broad  Way  after  re- 
placing the  lanthorn  and  felt  that  at  last  my  way 
was  really  clear.  Dreading  yet  another  trick,  I 
came  out  of  my  hiding  place  watchfully  and  looked 
about  me  diligently  before  advancing  toward  the 
fence.  Once  there  I  paused  again,  but  seeing  no 
one,  clambered  over  and  raced  down  the  street, 
glancing  back  frequently  to  make  sure  I  was  not  fol- 
lowed. Thus  at  length  I  reached  Hanover  Square. 

All  the  houses  were  dark  save  one  where  a  light 
burned  in  the  second  story.  This  was  my  goal. 
Some  one  was  still  up,  and  though  I  had  no  desire 
that  Mrs.  Patchen  should  be  very  ill,  I  did  hope  she 
was  ill  enough  to  have  kept  my  father  at  her  bed- 
side. 'Twas  not  a  kindly  wish,  but  my  anxiety  must 
be  my  excuse. 

When  I  ran  up  the  steps  and  sounded  the  knocker 
the  courage  that  had  so  far  upheld  me  seemed  to 
vanish  of  a  sudden  and  I  was  like  to  drop  before 
the  door.  So  much  depended  upon  the  answer  to 
my  first  question,  was  father  there  or  not?  If  he 
were,  all  might  be  well.  If  he  had  gone  I  saw 
naught  but  imprisonment  and  a  shameful  death  be- 
fore him.  What  would  that  answer  be? 

Though  it  seemed  like  hours  after  I  had  knocked, 
in  reality  I  stood  but  a  moment  outside  the  door  be- 
fore I  heard  soft  steps  approaching.  Then  came  a 
slow  fumbling  at  the  latch  and  at  length  the  master 
of  the  house  stood  before  me. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Patchen,  is  father  still  here?"  I 
gasped. 

"  Ay,  that  he  is,  my  child,"  he  answered.  "  Is 
aught  amiss  at  home?"  and  at  his  words,  so  great 
was  my  relief  that  I  could  have  shouted  for  joy. 

I  stuttered  something  of  my  errand  and  without 
delay  he  led  me  into  the  house  where  father  soon 


Hide-and-Seek  49 

joined  us,  and  I  told  my  tale  in  full.  They  listened 
with  grave  faces,  shaking  their  heads  as  if  they  could 
scarce  bring  themselves  to  believe  it;  but  after  some 
further  talk,  in  which  Mr.  Patchen  urged  father  to 
do  as  mother  advised,  he  at  length  consented  to  go 
at  once  to  Cambridge. 

This  being  determined  upon  and  Mr.  Patchen 
saying  that  he  would  gladly  furnish  all  things  need- 
ful for  the  journey,  I  was  sent  back  to  assure  mother 
that  all  was  well. 

I  carried  kisses  and  farewell  messages  on  my  re- 
turn trip,  but  my  heart  was  easy,  for  though  father 
was  leaving  home  and  doubtless  would  face  many 
dangers  in  the  days  to  come,  he  would  be  safer  away 
than  in  New  York. 

It  was  beginning  to  grow  light  as  I  reached  the 
house  and  I  was  vastly  surprised  to  see  soldiers  still 
there.  I  ran  in  at  once  to  mother  and  found  her 
seated  in  the  surgery  with  one  of  the  British  offi- 
cers, so  that  I  could  not  cry  my  news  as  I  should  have 
wished,  but  a  glance  told  her  of  father's  safety 
even  though  I  could  not  say  a  word  to  reassure 
her. 

"  And  where  have  you  been,  young  miss?  "  asked 
the  officer,  with  no  very  pleasant  expression  on  his 
face. 

"  I've  been  walking  in  the  moonlight,  sir,"  I  an- 
swered, very  pertly,  I  fear,  but  I  felt  something  of 
triumph  for  having  set  their  plans  at  naught.  More- 
over I  could  not  tell  him  what  I  had  been  about. 

"  And  spoiled  your  frock  in  the  business,"  he  said 
with  a  scowl.  "  Climbing  fences  in  the  moonlight 
would  be  nearer  the  truth  of  it,  I  doubt  not." 

Looking  down  at  myself  I  realized  for  the  first 
time  what  a  forlorn  figure  I  cut,  for  beside  the  tears 
in  my  petticoat  there  was  much  dirt  from  kneeling 


50  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

on  the  bare  ground  in  the  shadow  by  the  church- 
steps. 

The  officer  asked  me  a  few  more  questions,  which 
I  answered  as  truthfully  as  I  could,  without  acknowl- 
edging what  my  errand  had  been, —  or,  when  I  had 
no  reply  ready,  I  held  silent;  until  he,  seeing  that  he 
could  get  no  news  out  of  me,  gave  it  up  and  went 
away,  taking  his  company  of  soldiers  with  him. 

Not  until  then  could  I  tell  mother  of  my  last 
words  with  father  or  give  his  messages  of  farewell. 

She  listened,  interrupting  only  to  ask  a  question  or 
two,  and  when  I  had  finished  she  sat  for  a  long 
time  in  silence,  thinking  no  doubt  upon  our  situa- 
tion, for  at  length  she  gave  a  sigh,  whether  of  relief 
or  anxiety  I  know  not,  and  rising  to  her  feet,  bade 
me  go  to  bed  and  get  what  rest  I  could  till  break- 
fast-time. 

"  We  are  two  lone  females,  Mary,  dear,"  she 
said,  putting  a  loving  hand  upon  my  shoulder,  "  and 
we  must  be  brave  together  to  meet  what  trials  come 
to  us.  'Tis  something  of  a  comfort  to  know  that 
your  father  and  Will  are  working  in  the  service  of 
their  country,  and  we  too  must  find  our  part  to  do." 

"  I'll  try  the  best  I  can,  mother,"  I  answered. 

"  You  have  already  done  much,"  she  assured  me, 
which  was  high  praise  from  one  who  was  not  wont 
to  flatter,  and  I  went  happy  to  bed,  soon  to  fall 
asleep  tired  out  with  my  exciting  adventures. 

Thus  it  came  about  that  mother  and  I  were  left 
alone  while  father  and  brother  Will  were  in  Cam- 
bridge with  General  Washington's  army. 


!<  Where  have  you  been,  young  miss?  " 


CHAPTER  VIII 

NEWS   FROM  THE    FRONT 

WE  had  not  long  to  wait  before  there  came 
an  express  from  father  telling  of  his  safe 
arrival  in  Cambridge  and  that  all  was  well 
with  him.  Mother  read  me  only  parts  of  this  let- 
ter, but,  though  father  grieved  that  we  were  alone, 
there  nevertheless  seemed  something  of  gladness  in 
it,  as  if  he  had  at  length  found  the  duty  he  most 
longed  for. 

"  He  was  ever  a  man  of  action,  Mary,"  -mother 
said  to  me,  as  if  in  answer  to  my  thoughts,  "  and 
his  heart  has  been  sore  that  he  could  not  do  his  part 
for  the  country  we  all  love.  We  must  see  to  it  that 
on  our  account,  he  has  no  cause  to  regret  going." 

In  truth  his  departure  brought  us  a  measure  of  re- 
lief, for,  though  we  missed  him  sorely  of  course, 
there  was  not  the  constant  anxiety  we  had  felt  while 
he  was  in  the  city  at  the  mercy  of  his  enemies. 

Another  letter  came  shortly  after  this  from  Will, 
written  to  me,  though  mother  was  to  share  in  it,  too. 
He  spoke  boyishly  and  with  great  enthusiasm  of  his 
soldier  life,  bragging  a  little  of  the  ease  with  which 
we  should  win  against  the  British  cooped  up  in  Bos- 
ton, and  how  he  hoped  soon  to  be  an  officer. 

"  And  you  know,  sis,"  he  went  on,  "  there  are 
lots  of  men  no  older  than  I  who  have  been  made 
Captains,  so  you  need  not  laugh.  Yesterday  I  met 
a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Nathan  Hale  who  is 
here  with  a  Connecticut  regiment.  He  is  very  popu- 

51 


52  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

lar  and,  save  for  Hamilton,  I  have  seen  no  one  I 
could  like  better.  You  would  admire  him,  I  know. 
They  say  that  all  the  maids  in  New  Haven  are  in 
love  with  him.  But  he  isn't  the  sort  of  a  chap  to 
think  silly  things  like  that  about.  He  is  the  best 
jumper  I  ever  saw,  and  it  is  no  trick  for  him  to 
put  one  hand  on  a  fence  as  high  as  his  head  and 
clear  it  at  a  bound.  He  is  over  six  feet,  I  should  say, 
and  very  strong.  He  was  most  polite  and  agree- 
able to  me,  as,  indeed,  he  is  to  everybody,  but  I 
mean  to  see  more  of  him.  His  Excellency,  General 
Washington,  has  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  him.  I 
was  at  headquarters  when  old  Jonathan  Turnbull 
introduced  them.  His  appearance  wouldn't  lead 
you  to  suspect  Hale  of  being  a  schoolmaster,  but 
that  is  what  he  was;  and  the  Connecticut  men  tell 
me  that  when  he  heard  of  the  Lexington  affair  he 
was  for  fighting  at  once.  '  Let  us  march  immedi- 
ately,' they  say  he  shouted,  '  and  never  lay  down  our 
arms  until  we  have  obtained  our  independency ! ' 
That  doesn't  sound  much  like  a  schoolmaster,  you'll 
grant;  but  he  is  just  the  sort  of  a  fellow  who  would 
not  stop  at  half  measures.  We  are  all  talking  of 
independency  now,  but  it  was  a  different  story  some 
months  ago." 

This  was  all  that  Will  had  to  say  of  this  Mr. 
Nathan  Hale  in  his  letter,  and  I  confess  that  what 
he  had  written  scarce  stirred  my  curiosity.  'Twas 
ever  Will's  way  to  praise  a  new  friend  extravagantly, 
and  I  had  never  found  any  schoolmasters  that  I 
greatly  liked. 

The  months  passed  without  much  change  in  our 
condition,  though  the  state  of  the  city  became  more 
and  more  confusing.  Alarms  grew  frequent,  and 
latterly  there  had  been  sounds  of  cannon-shots  along 
the  water  front.  Wild  rumours  reached  us  con- 


News  from  the  Front  53 

stantly,  and  had  we  taken  them  in  all  seriousness  we 
should  never  have  had  a  moment's  freedom  from 
anxiety.  One  day  brought  news  that  the  British  had 
determined  to  blow  up  the  town;  the  next  that  war 
between  the  mother  country  and  the  Colonies  was 
over  and  that  peace  had  been  arranged. 

For  the  most  part  our  lives  went  on  placidly 
enough.  Many  good  Whig  friends  stepped  in  daily 
to  see  how  we  fared,  and  there  was  no  lack  of  talk 
to  stir  my  patriotism.  The  Livingstons,  the  Jays, 
Mr.  Patchen,  whose  wife  recovered  duly  from  her 
illness,  and  a  host  of  others,  took  it  upon  them- 
selves to  have  a  care  for  our  welfare  in  father's  ab- 
sence, and  I  doubt  not  mother  placed  great  reliance 
upon  their  timely  advice.  But  of  all  who  visited  us 
Madam  Robert  Murray  pleased  me  the  best,  for 
she  was  so  sprightly  a  dame  that  the  house  echoed 
with  laughter  whenever  she  was  within.  I  think 
mother,  whose  taste  inclined  to  a  soberness  in  dress, 
frowned  a  little  at  Madam  Murray  who  was  mon- 
strous fashionable,  but  I  admired  her  greatly. 
When  she  was  present  I  could  scarce  keep  my  eyes 
from  her  headdress,  so  high  was  it,  and  so  beauti- 
fully adorned  with  silken  butterflies  and  flowers. 

The  time  passed  quickly,  for  I  had  plenty  to  oc- 
cupy me,  seeing  that  we  were  short  of  servants. 
One  of  my  new  duties  was  the  marketing,  a  matter 
that  became  increasingly  difficult  as  the  British  ships 
closed  in  about  the  harbour,  and  the  farmers  of  New 
Jersey  and  Long  Island  either  feared  to  cross  to  the 
city  or  else  received  better  prices  for  their  wares 
from  the  warships. 

One  day,  in  August  I  think  it  was,  I  went  out 
to  make  some  purchases,  with  black  Betty  behind 
me  to  carry  the  basket  and  as  I  walked  down  the 
Broad  Way  who  should  I  meet  but  Mr.  Hamilton 


54  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

sauntering  along  with  another  gentleman.  They 
were  bravely  dressed  in  their  regimentals  and  looked 
very  handsome  as  they  saluted  me.  I  was  for  going 
on  modestly,  but  Mr.  Hamilton  stopped  to  ask  for 
father  and  Will,  introducing  me  to  his  companion, 
Captain  Throgmorton  by  name,  who  seemed  most 
polite  and  pleasant.  I  gave  them  the  news,  and 
while  we  stood  talking,  there  passed  up  the  Broad 
Way  a  straggling  procession  of  carts  piled  high  with 
household  goods.  It  was  not  a  new  sight  to  me,  as 
many  people,  frighted  by  the  ever-flying  rumours, 
were  leaving  the  city  daily ;  but  my  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  fat  old  coloured  woman  seated  upon 
one  of  the  carts  and  much  put  to  it  to  keep  her  place 
a-top  the  toppling  load.  At  sight  of  Betty  she 
grinned  broadly,  showing  two  rows  of  shining  white 
teeth. 

"  Fo'  de  land's  sake  if  it  ain't  Sally's  Sue !  "  cried 
Betty,  from  a  respectful  distance  behind  us.  "  Say! 
Where  yo'  all  goin'?  Can't  you  stop  and  pass  the 
time  o'  day?  " 

"  'Tain't  no  'casion  fp'  loit'rin',  honey,"  Sally's 
Sue  called  down,  shaking  her  head  vigorously. 
"  Us  is  a-goin'  to  Claremont,  a-visitin'  ol'  Ma'am 
Livin'ston.  'Tain't  no  manner  o'  use  my  spendin' 
my  time  cookin'  over  a  hot  stove  if  them  unman- 
nerly British  gem'men  is  let  to  shoot  my  gumbo  soup 
full  o'  dust." 

The  cart  creaked  on  with  its  burden  and  Sally's 
last  words  were  shouted  back  with  the  full  power  of 
her  stout  lungs. 

"  I  think  Mistress  Sally  scores  off  you,  Hamilton," 
laughed  Mr.  Throgmorton. 

"  I  am  desolated  over  the  lost  gumbo,"  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton replied  with  a  chuckle. 

"  But  what  does  she  mean  by  dust  in  the  soup?  " 


News  from  the  Front  55 

I  asked,  for  indeed  I  had  no  notion  of  what  it  was 
all  about. 

"  Your  pardon,  Mistress  Polly,"  cried  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton, quickly.  "  I  thought,  of  course,  you  knew. 
Our  friend  Sally  evidently  is  from  the  Court  end  of 
the  town  and  her  kitchen  must  have  been  in  the  way 
of  a  chance  cannon  ball  from  the  Asia.  They  took 
occasion,  the  other  day,  to  fire  a  few  shots  at  us  and 
monstrous  bad  shots  they  were,  too.  Dust  was 
about  all  they  raised." 

"But  why  should  a  British  ship  fire  at  us?"  I 
demanded,  for  it  was  plain  he  was  holding  some- 
thing back. 

"  'Twas  naught  — "  he  began,  but  Mr.  Throg- 
morton  cut  him  short. 

"  I'll  tell  you  about  it,  Mistress  Trotter!  "  he  ex- 
claimed. "  Our  friend  Hamilton  is  too  modest. 
You  heard  the  firing  no  doubt?  "  I  nodded  "  yes  " 
to  his  question.  "  Well,"  he  went  on,  "  you  per- 
haps remember  we  had  some  cannon  at  the  Battery 
right  under  the  guns  of  the  Asia.  And  to  tell  the. 
truth  we  thought  they  were  lost  to  us.  But  Hamil- 
ton here,  not  content  with  the  laurels  he  has  already 
won,  must  take  a  handful  of  men  and  remove  these 
cannon  from  under  their  very  noses.  It  was  hot 
work  too,  and  a  braver  bit  of  soldiery  I  have  never 
seen." 

"  I  pledge  you  my  word  'twas  naught,"  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton interrupted,  a  slight  blush  mounting  his  hand- 
some face.  "  We  thought  the  guns  would  look  bet- 
ter on  the  Highlands  where  they  promised  to  add 
to  the  utility  if  not  the  beauty  of  the  landscape." 

"  Ay,  but  to  take  them  you  had  to  face  the  fire 
of  the  finest  man-of-war  the  British  have  in  these 
waters,"  Mr.  Throgmorton  insisted.  "  I  shall 
spare  his  modesty,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  went  on, 


56  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

turning  to  me,  "  and  say  no  more,  save  that  it  was  a 
gallant  deed." 

"  You  took  those  cannon  right  from  under  the 
guns  of  the  Asia? "  I  exclaimed,  turning  to  Mr. 
Hamilton. 

"  Sure  they  were  ours,"  he  answered,  seeming  to 
bristle  a  little,  though  there  was  a  merry  twinkle  in 
his  eye.  "  'Twas  good  hard  Colonial  money  paid 
for  them." 

"  Nay,  'twas  not  that  I  meant,  but  the  risk  you 
ran,"  I  put  in  hastily.  "  Faith,  I'm  thankful  Will 
is  safe  outside  of  Boston." 

At  this  both  gentlemen  laughed. 

'  There  was  little  risk  save  for  the  gumbo,"  Mr. 
Hamilton  insisted,  merrily.  "  But  the  cannon  we 
had  to  have.  'Twould  have  been  small  pleasure  to 
see  them  turned  against  us  one  of  these  days." 

'  Think  you  then  that  the  British  will  really  take 
the  town?  "  I  questioned  anxiously. 

Hamilton  shrugged,  foreign  fashion. 

"  Perhaps  they  will  not  want  it,"  suggested  Mr. 
Throgmorton. 

"  They've  had  scant  satisfaction  from  their  stay 
in  Boston,"  Mr.  Hamilton  said  lightly,  and  then, 
quite  seriously,  "  yet  their  warships  could  make  it 
vastly  unpleasant  here,  and,  were  you  my  sister,  I 
think  I  should  be  glad  to  see  you  leaving  the  city, 
even  a-top  such  a  load  as  just  passed.  Under  any 
circumstances  I  trust  you  will  place  my  services  at 
your  mother's  disposal  if  there  is  aught  I  can  do  to 
convenience  her." 

I  thanked  him,  saying  that  I  thought  it  was 
mother's  intention  to  remain  in  her  own  home  until 
father  should  insist  upon  our  going.  With  that  we 
parted,  the  gentlemen  bowing  most  mannerly, 
while  I  went  upon  my  way,  Betty  waddling  along  be- 


News  from  the  Front  57 

hind  much  impressed  by  the  gallant  bearing  of  the 
two  officers. 

With  such  slight  incidents  as  this  the  months 
passed,  and,  though  there  were  threats  a-plenty  of 
what  the  British  would  do,  there  was  no  demonstra- 
tion against  us.  On  the  contrary  in  October  Gov- 
ernor Tryon  left  the  fort  and  took  refuge  on  a  ship, 
The  Duchess  of  Gordon,  anchored  in  the  bay. 
From  there  he  continued  to  plot,  being  himself  quite 
safe,  and  issued  proclamations  without  stint  —  to 
which  nobody  paid  the  slightest  heed. 

The  Christmas  holiday  came  and  went  with  little 
to  mark  them  in  the  life  of  the  city. 

I  took  a  deal  of  pleasure  in  the  box  we  sent  to 
the  Massachusetts  for  father  and  Will;  but  I  was 
chagrined  that  it  should  contain  so  little  that  smacked 
of  Christmas.  All  the  presents  were  useful  ones. 
Stockings,  under-clothing,  shoes,  towels  and  plenty 
of  soap,  for  in  spite  of  the  extra  allowance  mother 
had  sent  off  with  Will,  they  still  complained  of  a 
shortness  of  that  most  necessary  commodity,  vow- 
ing that  it  was  worth  its  weight  in  gold  within  a 
score  of  miles  of  Boston.  I  put  a  piece  of  holly, 
tied  with  a  red  ribbon  a-top,  but  even  then  it  did  not 
seem  like  a  Christmas  box,  though  to  be  sure  there 
was  one  corner  filled  with  sweet  cakes  and  a  mynced 
pye. 

So  ended  the  year  of  our  Lord,  1775.  What  was 
in  store  for  us  we  knew  not  but  we  scarce  thought 
that  the  months  to  follow  could  be  so  full  of  anxiety 
and  heartaches  as  those  which  had  just  passed.  It 
is  ofttimes  a  mercy  that  we  are  to-day  ignorant  of 
the  events  of  to-morrow. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    GATHERING   STORM 

ON  the  morning  of  January  first,  1776,  I 
looked  out  of  my  window  and  made  no  ef- 
fort to  suppress  a  despondent  sigh.  Sure 
never  was  a  year  begun  so  inauspiciously.  A  storm 
of  wind  and  sleet  raging  outside  and  dark,  menacing 
clouds  hung  so  low  that  they  seemed  to  touch  the 
roofs  and  chimneys  of  the  nouses  opposite.  The 
streets  were  deserted,  scarce  a  person  did  I  see 
abroad  on  this  New  Year's  day  which,  in  the  past, 
was  wont  to  be  the  merriest  holiday  of  the  twelve- 
month. 

Toward  three  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Patchen  came 
to  visit  us.  He  was  an  old  man  unfit  to  be  out  on 
such  a  day,  so  we  made  him  welcome  in  the  surgery 
where  an  open  fire  burned  for  warmth  and  for  cheer. 
At  first  he  made  a  great  show  at  liveliness,  but  he 
could  not  long  hide  the  anxiety  that  he  and  all  peo- 
ple felt  at  this  time;  for  it  was  not  the  weather 
alone  that  made  this  New  Year's  day  the  dismalest 
that  the  city  had  known  for  a  century  and  a  half. 

"  There  are  none  dare  venture  on  the  streets," 
grumbled  Mr.  Patchen,  at  length,  giving  up  the  at- 
tempt to  hide  his  feelings.  "  All  keep  to  their 
homes,  be  they  Whig  or  Tory." 

"  The  ladies  have  little  spirit  for  social  observ- 
ance," mother  answered,  gently.  "  Those  they  love 
best  are  either  with  the  army  or  making  ready." 

"Ay,  but  what  else  can  be  done?"  said  Mr. 

58 


The  Gathering  Storm  59 

Patchen,  thinking  perhaps  that  mother  voiced  a  pro- 
test. "  Either  we  must  fight  now  or  cease  to  be  a 
free  people." 

"  'Tis  not  that  we  women  complain,"  mother  re- 
plied. "  'Tis  that  we  realize  how  helpless  we  are 
and  wonder  why  so  little  is  being  done.  The  Brit- 
ish ships  now  in  the  harbour  could  blow  the  city  to 
pieces." 

"  Ay,"  agreed  Mr.  Patchen,  "  we  are  at  their 
mercy,  and  moreover  the  rumour  runs  that  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  is  sailing  from  Boston  with  another  fleet  and 
means  to  take  the  town." 

'  Think  you  'tis  true  ?  "  asked  mother. 

"  I  know  not  what  to  think,"  he  answered,  "  but  it 
may  well  be." 

"  Then  why  have  we  not  fortified?  "  mother  de- 
manded. "  Are  we  to  stand  by  doing  nothing,  hop- 
ing for  a  miracle  to  save  us?  " 

Mr.  Patchen  shook  his  head  hopelessly.  He 
seemed  very  old  and  his  hand  trembled. 

"  'Tis  a  vexed  question,"  he  faltered.  "  Some 
there  be  who  demand  that  we  shall  prepare  ourselves 
at  once  —  and  perhaps  they  are  right.  Others 
caution  delay,  fearing  to  give  excuse  for  the  British 
to  open  hostilities  while  we  are  all  unready.  They, 
too,  may  be  right.  Still  others  insist  that  the 
trouble  will  blow  over  and  are  for  peace  no  matter 
what  the  cost." 

"  Yet  one  thing  have  they  all  in  common,"  cried 
mother,  scornfully,  "they  do  naught  but  talk!  As 
if  that  would  serve.  I'll  warrant,  sir,  the  women- 
folk of  New  York  would  have  acted  ere  this  an 
they  had  a  hand  in  the  matter." 

"  Be  not  too  hard  on  us,"  said  Mr.  Patchen,  with 
a  mirthless,  little  laugh.  "  All  nerves  are  stretched 
to  the  breaking-point,  while  Tryon  hatches  his  plots 


60  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

from  a  safe  retreat  on  the  Duchess  of  Gordon,  and 
no  one  knows  who  is  friend  or  foe.  A  man  dare 
not  tell  his  neighbour  what  is  in  his  mind,  fearing 
lest  an  old  friend  has  turned  Tory  spy.  So  we  do 
naught  and  Isaac  Sears  cries  it  abroad  that  New 
York  is  a  '  nest  of  Tories.'  ' 

"  'Tis  not  true !  "  I  burst  out,  forgetting  my  man- 
ners before  my  elders.  "  New  York  is  as  staunch 
for  liberty  as  any  Colony  in  America.  Have  we  not 
sent  hundreds  to  General  Washington's  army  in 
Cambridge?  Are  not  the  Livingstons,  the  Schuy- 
lers,  the  Roosevelts,  the  Murrays  and  a  host  of  oth- 
ers as  good  patriots  as  the  Adamses  of  Boston 
or  the  Morrises  or  Tilghmans  of  Philadelphia? 
How  dare  any  one  say  that  New  York  is  a  nest  of 
Tories?" 

I  stopped  a  little  out  of  breath  and,  suddenly  real- 
izing my  forwardness,  looked  to  mother  for  a  well- 
deserved  rebuke,  but  she  gave  no  sign  of  displeas- 
ure. 

"  Ay,  the  very  children  cry  for  freedom,"  mur- 
mured Mr.  Patchen. 

"  'Tis  for  the  children  and  the  children's  children 
that  the  struggle  must  be  made !  "  said  mother  in 
a  strong  voice.  "  For  us,  who  count  but  a  few 
years  more  or  less,  what  care  we  whether  our  ruler 
be  a  King  or  a  Congress?  But  what  of  those  who 
come  after  us?  Are  they  to  be  the  slaves  of  selfish, 
stubborn  Princes?  Never!  Never!" 

I  looked  at  mother  in  amazement,  for  she  had 
ever  said  that  a  political  female  was  an  abomina- 
tion and  here  she  was  talking  good  Whig  sentiments 
with  an  earnestness  that  showed  plainly  the  depth 
of  her  feeling. 

Shortly  after  this  Mr.  Patchen  took  leave  of  us 


The  Gathering  Storm  61 

and  after  we  had  let  him  out  of  the  door  I  turned 
questioningly  to  mother. 

"  I  thought  it  was  not  becoming  of  a  female  to 
talk  of  politics  and  such  things?  " 

"  So  I  was  brought  up  to  believe,  my  child," 
mother  answered,  "  and  in  that  light  I  have  taught 
you;  but  I  begin  to  doubt  the  wisdom  of  that  teach- 
ing. Mayhap  some  day  women  will  play  a  larger 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation  and  then,  when  a 
crisis  like  this  comes  upon  them,  they  will  not  be 
so  helpless  as  we  are.  However,  let  me  warn  you 
that  there  is  talk  enough  in  the  world  as  it  is,  and 
idle  talkers,  be  they  men  or  women,  are  abomina- 
tions." 

From  then  on,  mother  treated  me  less  like  a  child, 
and  I  was  heartened  to  speak  what  was  in  my  mind 
when  the  occasion  served;  but  I  was  on  my  guard 
not  to  be  too  forward  with  my  opinions. 

As  the  month  advanced,  anxiety  for  the  safety  of 
the  city  increased  and  each  day  brought  a  new  crop 
of  alarming  rumours,  until  all  but  the  bravest  were 
well-nigh  panic-stricken  and,  in  spite  of  the  bitter 
cold,  fled  the  town  with  all  the  belongings  they  could 
carry  with  them. 

Nor  could  one  blame  them.  It  was  asserted, 
and  thousands  believed,  that  the  Crown  had  given 
orders  to  destroy  all  our  coast  cities;  and,  to  con- 
firm this,  news  came  of  the  burning  of  Norfolk,  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  bombarding  of  Portland,  Maine,  by 
British  men-of-war.  It  was  confidently  predicted 
that  New  York  would  be  the  next  victim  of  these 
outrages  and  when,  near  the  end  of  the  month,  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  arrived  with  his  fleet  there  was  scarce 
any  one  who  was  not  certain  that  the  town  was 
doomed. 


62  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

To  add  to  the  alarm  General  Charles  Lee  came 
with  a  force  of  New  Englanders  to  defend  the  city, 
and  thus  did  the  hostile  forces  confront  each  other. 
It  seemed  but  a  question  of  hours  ere  the  fighting 
would  begin. 

'Twas  then  the  first  real  panic  struck  us.  Nigh 
every  one  believed  the  crisis  was  upon  us  and  peo- 
ple of  all  kinds  and  conditions  fled  in  disorder, 
hastening  out  into  the  country  with  fearful,  back- 
ward glances,  as  if  they  expected  to  be  fired  upon 
at  any  moment.  Past  our  windows,  up  the  Broad 
Way,  an  endless  procession  wound.  Men,  women 
and  children,  with  scared,  white  faces,  shivered 
in  the  bitter  wind  as  they  hurried  on,  mindful 
only  of  the  fancied  peril  behind  them.  Whole  fam- 
ilies, huddled  togther  for  fear  of  losing  each  other, 
made  their  escape  as  best  they  might,  taking  with 
them  little  or  much  as  the  circumstances  allowed. 
Waggons  and  carts  of  all  descriptions  creaked  past, 
piled  high  with  household  goods,  and  groaned  under 
their  burdens  in  the  freezing  air.  The  rich  knew 
not  where  to  go,  and  the  poor  had  no  hope  save  from 
the  charity  of  those  a  little  better  off  than  themselves. 

Sure  never  had  I  seen  such  sad  sights,  nor  could  I 
be  indifferent  to  their  meaning. 

"  Are  we  to  stay,  mother?  "  I  asked,  for  she  had 
said  no  word  of  our  going,  and  went  about  her  du- 
ties as  calmly  as  though  naught  was  happening  out 
of  the  ordinary. 

"  Ay,  we  stay  here,"  she  answered  firmly.  "  Do 
not  be  afraid  because  a  multitude  of  people  have 
lost  their  senses.  I  hold  with  Mr.  Murray  that  the 
last  thing  the  British  want  is  a  conflict  in  New  York. 
They  have  not  given  up  hope  $f  keeping  the  Colony 
loyal  to-  the  Crown  and  will  never  be  the  first  to 
force  the  fighting." 


The  Gathering  Storm  63 

Mother's  words  heartened  me  somewhat,  but  it 
would  be  folly  to  pretend  that  I  felt  no  alarm  when, 
wherever  I  looked,  there  were  signs  of  danger. 
Still,  I  made  as  brave  a  show  of  courage  as  I  could 
manage  for  an  example  to  our  black  servants,  who 
threatened  to  desert  us  at  any  moment. 

And  presently  there  came  a  lull  in  our  anxieties. 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  sailed  away  vowing  he  had  but 
come  on  a  visit  to  his  old  friend,  Governor  Tryon; 
and  the  town  breathed  easier.  Moreover  General 
Lee  set  all  men  to  working  day  and  night  upon  forti- 
fications and  barriers.  These  breastworks,  many 
of  them  constructed  out  of  the  fine  mahogany  logs 
found  on  board  the  West  India  merchantmen,  gave 
us  a  sense  of  security,  and  flight  from  the  city  was 
halted.  Indeed  a  few  even  straggled  back  from  the 
Jerseys,  glad  to  be  in  their  warm  homes  once  more; 
but  for  all  that  there  must  have  been  hundreds  of 
empty  houses  in  the  city. 

This  Mr.  Lee,  who  was  a  British  officer,  had 
thrown  in  his  lot  with  the  Colonies  at  the  first  sign 
of  hostilities.  With  us  in  New  York  he  was  far 
from  popular  —  and  with  good  reason.  He  was 
most  insulting  to  all  our  patriotic  citizens  and  made 
no  effort  to  hide  his  scorn  and  contempt  of  everything 
American.  I  saw  him  more  than  once  upon  the 
streets;  a  gross  man,  slovenly  in  his  dress  and  al- 
ways accompanied  by  a  yelping  pack  of  dogs  of 
which  he  seemed  more  fond  than  of  human  com- 
panions. But  presently  he,  too,  went  away  and 
there  was  a  period  of  comparative  peace  and  quiet, 
though  the  work  upon  the  defenses  went  on  unceas- 
ingly. 

Some  time  in  March,  I  think  it  was,  we  had  the 
first  news  that  the  British  had  sailed  out  of  Boston 
harbour  and  that  General  Washington  had  taken 


64  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

possession  of  that  town  without  the  firing  of  a  shot. 
At  first  there  was  much  show  of  joy  over  this  vic- 
tory of  our  troops,  but  our  jubilation  was  soon 
changed  to  self-pity,  for  almost  immediately  rumour 
had  it  that  General  Howe  and  all  his  army  were  com- 
ing to  take  New  York. 

Again  panic  seized  the  city,  and  the  same  sad  scenes 
of  a  mob  in  flight  were  to  be  observed  on  every 
hand.  Hosts  of  people  left  in  hot  haste,  and  the 
slaves  and  house-servants  who  had  remained  faith- 
ful, disappeared  like  snow  before  the  summer  sun. 
Ours  fled  with  the  rest,  all,  that  is,  save  black  Betty, 
our  cook,  who  stood  bravely  by  through  all  our  trou- 
bles, her  loyalty  during  those  trying  times  making 
her,  in  truth,  one  of  the  family,  as  she  considered 
herself.  But,  in  a  measure,  this  desertion  on  the 
part  of  our  servants,  was  a  blessing.  It  meant  less 
food  to  provide,  and  with  all  business  stopped, 
every  one  had  to  take  thought  for  the  pennies  no 
matter  how  prosperous  they  might  have  been  pre- 
viously. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  in  all  this  time  we 
were  without  news  of  father  and  Will.  Doubts  of 
their  welfare,  of  course,  added  to  our  anxieties;  but 
we  heard  from  them  frequently,  and  there  was 
much  in  their  letters  to  quiet  the  alarm  we  naturally 
felt  for  their  safety.  Father,  from  the  beginning, 
had  prophesied  that  the  British  would  evacuate  Bos- 
ton without  a  struggle;  but  when  the  prophecy  had 
actually  been  fulfilled  he  confessed  that  he  had  not 
been  so  certain  of  the  matter  as  he  had  seemed. 
He,  of  course,  had  been  thinking  of  mother,  ever 
awaiting  the  news  of  a  battle  in  which  Will  must 
play  his  part;  and,  knowing  better  than  any  one  that 
she  was  far  from  strong,  he  had  done  his  best  to 
minimize  the  anticipated  danger. 


The  Gathering  Storm  65 

Will,  too,  wrote,  sometimes  to  me  but  oftener 
to  mother.  I  noticed  that  there  was  a  more  fre- 
quent mention  of  Mr.  Hale  and  judged  thereby  that 
they  had  become  quite  intimate.  Indeed  I  grew  a 
little  weary  of  reading  long  descriptions  of  what  this 
gentleman  did,  and  would  rather  he  had  devoted  the 
pages  to  his  own  doings. 

Nor  should  it  be  thought  that  amid  all  the  dis- 
quietude of  these  months  I  had  ceased  to  remember 
Roger  Delancy.  In  truth  he  was  seldom  out  of  my 
memory  but  no  word  came  to  me  of  his  fate  nor  any 
news  to  shake  my  conviction  that  he  was  dead. 


CHAPTER  X 

A   REUNION 

A /THOUGH  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the 
British  troops  under  General  Howe  brought 
a  great  measure  of  relief  to  mother  and  me, 
this  period  of  comparative  freedom  from  anxiety 
was  short-lived,  for  soon  it  was  noised  abroad  that 
the  Congress  in  Philadelphia  had  ordered  General 
Washington's  army  to  defend  New  York,  and,  ere 
many  days  had  passed,  the  troops  began  to  arrive. 

With  the  first  regiments  came  father,  he  having 
been  sent  early  to  perform  such  medical  duties  as 
were  necessary  and  to  make  what  preparations  he 
could  for  the  care  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 

'Tis  impossible  to  describe  our  delight  at  having 
him  home  again.  And  he  was  much  relieved  to  find 
us  comfortable  at  least,  and  brave  to  face  what  hard- 
ships might  be  in  store  for  us. 

Of  the  many  questions  we  asked  the  first  were 
about  Will  and  how  he  fared. 

"  He  will  soon  be  here  to  speak  for  himself,"  fa- 
ther told  us,  "  and  I  doubt  not  he  will  be  made  an 
officer  ere  he  reaches  New  York.  He  is  held  in  high 
esteem  at  headquarters  —  and  deservedly,  for  he  is 
much  in  earnest.  You  will  be  right  proud  of  your 
brother,  Polly,"  he  ended  with  a  nod  to  me. 

"  I  hope  he  is  not  too  high  and  mighty  to  notice 
a  chit  of  a  girl,"  I  answered,  rather  pertly,  I  fear, 
but  truth  to  tell  I  should  have  cried  had  I  attempted 
to  express  what  was  in  my  heart. 

66 


A  Reunion  67 

"  And  who  is  this  Mr.  Nathan  Hale  he  speaks  of 
so  often?  "  mother  asked. 

"  A  splendid  young  fellow !  "  father  replied  with 
enthusiasm.  "  A  year  or  two  Will's  senior,  I  should 
say.  We  shall  hear  fine  things  of  Hale  one  of  these 
days,  and  I'm  glad  that  he  and  Will  are  such  fast 
friends." 

"  Will  writes  of  naught  else  but  Mr.  Hale  and  his 
doings,"  I  put  in,  "  sure  I'm  convinced  I  shall  not 
like  him  at  all." 

"  Then  you  will  be  the  first  one  who  didn't," 
laughed  father,  "  but  'tis  hard  on  a  man  to  be  over- 
praised. Wait,  Polly,  till  you've  seen  him." 

Then  father  told  us  something  of  the  soldier  life 
at  Cambridge  and  of  the  many  officers  with  whom 
he  came  into  daily  contact,  but  of  them  all  he  ranked 
Mr.  Washington  the  most  far-seeing  and  capable. 

"  He  is  just  the  man  to  lead  us,  in  spite  of  what 
is  said  in  some  quarters,"  he  declared  with  marked 
enthusiasm,  "  but  I  vow  'tis  scarce  less  than  a  crime 
the  way  Congress  hampers  him.  Sure  had  I  the 
power  I  would  make  His  Excellency  King  —  at  least 
until  we  have  settled  with  George  the  Third  and  I 
am  by  no  means  the  only  man  who  thinks  the  same. 
There  has  been  considerable  talk  of  doing  that  very 
thing."  ^ 

"  Is  it  not  to  be  rid  of  Kings  that  we  face  this 
war?  "  asked  mother. 

"  Ay,  I  grant  you  it  is,"  agreed  father.  "  There 
are  two  sides  to  the  matter  and  I  have  yet  to  find 
the  man  who  would  dare  to  suggest  such  a  plan  to 
the  General  himself.  However,  he'll  pull  us 
through  in  spite  of  Congress  and  the  jealousies  of 
some  who  think  first  of  themselves. —  Now  enough 
of  these  dry  politics  — ." 

We  ceased  our  serious  talk  and  father  gave  us 


68  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

some  of  the  gossip  of  the  army.  'Twas  then  I  first 
heard  of  Mr.  Paul  Revere  and  how  he  had  ridden 
from  Concord  at  the  dead  of  night  to  warn  the 
farmers  of  Lexington,  though  this  had  happened  nigh 
a  year  before.  Of  the  battle  of  Concord  Bridge  and 
old  Josiah  Haynes  who,  though  eighty  years  of  age, 
pursued  the  British  and  kept  pace  with  the  swiftest 
until  he  fell  dead  a  little  beyond  Fisk's  Hill.  Next 
he  told  us  stories  of  the  battle  of  Bunker's  Hill, 
as  we  had  heard  the  news,  but  which  really  was 
Breed's  Hill,  that  being  the  nearest  to  Boston  town. 
They  fortified  in  a  night,  and  in  the  morning  when 
the  British  began  to  bombard  the  earthworks  Mr. 
Prescott,  who  was  in  command,  walked  calmly  up 
and  down  the  parapet  to  show  his  men  how  little 
they  had  to  fear  from  the  British  fire. 

"  And  then,  there's  old  Israel  Putnam,  a  farmer 
from  Pomfret,  Connecticut,"  father  went  on. 
"  There's  a  man  for  you !  No  heart  in  the  land 
beats  more  warmly  for  our  cause." 

"What  did  he  do,  father?"  I  asked  a  little  ex- 
citedly. 

"  'Tis  not  so  much  what  he  did,  but  his  readiness," 
answered  father.  "  They  tell  a  tale  of  him  which 
I  doubt  not  is  quite  true.  'Tis  so  wholly  like  the 
man." 

"  But  what  was  it,  father?  "  I  begged. 

"  Well,"  began  father,  "  it  seems  that  one  day 
Farmer  Putnam  was  out  in  the  fields  with  one  of  his 
hired  men.  Some  say  he  was  ploughing,  others  that 
he  was  building  a  fence,  but  however  it  was,  the  news 
of  Lexington  reached  him  while  he  worked.  Now 
most  men  (your  father,  among  them,  Polly,  my 
dear) ,  would  have  stopped,  at  least  to  talk,  but  that 
was  not  Israel  Putnam's  way.  He  didn't  even  wait 
to  change  his  clothes,  nor  to  fling  off  his  old  leathern 


A  Reunion  69 

apron.  No,  indeed !  He  caught  a  horse  and  rode 
off  on  the  instant  to  summon  his  neighbours  for  miles 
around.  I'll  warrant  no  man  held  back  who  saw 
his  white  hair  flying  in  the  wind  as  he  galloped  from 
house  to  house,  shouting  the  news,  and  telling  them 
to  assemble  at  once  to  beat  back  the  British.  When 
he  had  made  his  rounds  he  returned  and  there  were 
hundreds  gathered  in  answer  to  his  call.  They  told 
him  they  had  chosen  him  to  lead  them.  '  All  right !  ' 
he  cried,  in  a  ringing  voice,  that  I  doubt  not  you 
could  have  heard  near  a  mile.  '  All  right !  Fol- 
low me !  '  and  he  took  the  road  for  Cambridge  where 
the  company  arrived  at  sunrise  next  morning,  Put- 
nam in  the  van  on  the  horse  he  had  ridden  nigh  a 
hundred  miles  in  eighteen  hours." 

"  That  horse  should  have  a  place  in  history," 
said  mother,  with  a  smile. 

"  Ay,  so  it  should,"  laughed  father.  "  At  any 
rate  his  master  will,  for  the  man  in  the  old  shirt 
and  leathern  apron  has  ever  since  been  setting  his 
hand  to  any  work  that  came  his  way  with  the  same 
ready  spirit.  He  is  General  Putnam  now,  but  he  is 
still  the  simple  Connecticut  farmer  he  was  a  year 
ago  and  when  the  war  ends  he  will  go  back  to  build- 
ing that  fence  he  was  busy  with  when  the  news  of 
Lexington  interrupted  his  work." 

"A  ready  patriot!"  exclaimed  mother  heartily. 

"  Ay,  that  he  is !  "  agreed  father. 

With  father  at  home  again  it  might  be  thought 
that  mother's  cares  would  be  lessened  but  she  would 
not  have  it  so. 

"  Worry  not  over  us,"  she  told  him.  "  Mary 
and  I  can  manage  well  enough,  and  you  have  more 
important  matters  to  occupy  you.  We  should  be 
poor  patriots  if  we  added  to  your  troubles." 

And  seeing  that  this  was  indeed  true,  father  came 


70  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

and  went  as  most  suited  the  work  he  was  engaged 
upon,  leaving  home  affairs  in  our  hands;  but  it 
was  a  comfort  to  have  him  so  near,  though  to  be 
sure  he  was  often  called  to  Brooklyn  or  Long  Island, 
and  we  saw  him  not  for  days  at  a  time. 

Meanwhile  I  spent  many  of  my  free  hours  gazing 
out  of  the  window  watching  our  troops  coming  into 
the  city,  and  always  on  the  lookout  for  Will.  Day 
after  day  the  soldiers  marched  past  down  the  Broad 
Way  clad  in  all  sorts  of  uniforms  that  made  a  motley 
array  when  the  regiments  from  the  various  Colonies 
were  gathered  together.  The  Pennsylvanians,  for 
instance,  were  dressed  in  all  the  colours  of  the  rain- 
bow. Some  of  them  wore  brown  coats  faced  with 
buff,  others  blue  coats  faced  with  red,  while  still 
others  had  on  brown  coats  faced  with  white  and 
studded  with  huge  pewter  buttons.  Then  too  there 
were  those  who  wore  no  coats  at  all  and  these  were 
soon  nicknamed  the  "  Shoddy-shirts."  Old  red 
coats,  laid  away  in  garrets  since  the  French  wars, 
made  their  appearance  on  a  portion  of  the  Con- 
necticut troops,  and  these  contrasted  finely  with  the 
green  hunting  shirts  of  the  Marylanders.  The  Vir- 
ginians were  extremely  gay  in  white  smocked  frocks 
with  ruffles  at  the  neck,  elbows  and  wrists.  Indeed 
a  few  of  the  companies  were  so  richly  dressed  that 
it  was  impossible  to  tell  them  from  the  British,  while 
some  poor  fellows  had  no  uniforms  at  all. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  some  time  in  April  that 
General  Washington,  the  Commander-in-Chief  ar- 
rived, escorted  by  his  guards  who  were  bravely  ar- 
rayed in  blue  coats  faced  with  buff,  red  waistcoats, 
buckskin  breeches,  black  felt  hats  bound  with  white 
tape  and  body-belts  of  white.  And  in  His  Excel- 
lency's train  came  my  brother,  Lieutenant  William 


A  Reunion  71 

Trotter  now,  and  to  my  thinking  the  handsomest  of- 
ficer in  the  patriot  army. 

I  was  at  the  window  when  he  dashed  up  the  steps, 
and  for  an  instant  I  did  not  recognize  him,  so  brown 
was  he  and  so  manly  in  his  uniform ;  but  it  was  only 
for  an  instant. 

"  'Tis  Will!  — "  I  shouted  at  the  top  of  my  voice 
and  flew  to  the  hall  to  meet  him. 

The  next  moment  I  had  my  arms  about  him  and 
half  sobbed  and  half  laughed  a  welcome. 

"  Oh,  Polly,  my  dear,  I  am  glad  to  see  you!  "  he 
cried,  giving  me  a  huge  hug.  "  Where's  mother?  " 

She  was  not  far  behind,  having  heard  my  shout, 
and  the  next  moment  they  were  in  each  other's  arms, 
while  I  furtively,  wiped  away  the  tears  that  would 
come  into  my  eyes  for  very  joy. 

We  stood  off  from  him  to  look  him  over,  very 
proud  of  his  sword  and  epaulettes,  and  though  he 
protested  that  he  felt  like  a  wax-work,  we  gazed  our 
fill  at  him. 

"  Nay,  Will,"  laughed  mother,  though  her  voice 
broke  and  she  was  nigh  to  tears,  "  let  those  who  love 
you  have  their  way  for  a  little.  Sure  an  officer 
who  can  face  the  British  guns  can  brave  the  glances 
of  his  old  mother  and  doting  sister." 

"  You  must  have  your  way,  an'  it  pleases  you, 
mother  dear,"  he  answered,  "  but  I  am  as  hungry 
as  a  wolf,  and — ." 

Whether  he  said  this  on  purpose  to  put  an  end 
to  his  ordeal  I  know  not  but  surely  it  had  that  ef- 
fect for  at  the  word  "  hungry  "  we  flew  to  get  him 
food,  feeling  guilty  at  even  this  momentary  neglect 
of  our  hero  and  taking  huge  delight  in  stuffing  him 
with  all  the  good  things  we  could  find. 

There  was  laughter  a-plenty,  for  Will  was  ever 


72  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

one  to  take  things  lightly,  but  the  tears  were  never 
far  from  our  eyes  and  the  very  uniform  we  so  much 
admired  could  not  help  but  remind  us  of  the  dangers 
he  must  soon  be  facing. 

He  could  not  stay  long,  indeed  it  seemed  scarce 
a  minute  ere  he  had  eaten  and  was  away  again;  but 
we  had  seen  both  him  and  father,  and  we  felt  that 
now  at  last  the  spring  had  come  bringing  a  new  and 
brighter  sun  to  shine  on  our  troubled  world. 


CHAPTER  XI 

A   MAD  ADVENTURE 

ONE  evening,  a  day  or  so  after  Will's  return, 
I  had  run  up  to  the  sewing  room  on  an  er- 
rand for  mother.     I  forget  now  what  the 
business  was,  but  it  took  some  little  time,  and  while 
I  was  about  it  the  knocker  sounded  on  the  front  door. 
I  hoped  it  might  be  father  and,  hurrying  with  my 
task,  was  soon  on  my  way  back  to  the  surgery  where 
I  had  left  mother. 

Half-way  down  the  stairs  I  heard  Will's  voice  and, 
thinking  of  naught  but  my  delight  at  seeing  him,  I 
gave  a  shout  of  welcome  and  flew  into  the  room  like 
a  small  whirlwind. 

But  once  inside  I  halted  on  the  instant,  blushing 
furiously,  for  there,  with  mother  and  Will,  stood 
a  tall  young  officer  who  smiled  at  me  pleasantly 
while  his  eyes  twinkled  merrily. 

"  Come  right  in,  Polly,"  Will  cried,  laughingly, 
"  I  have  just  been  telling  Captain  Hale  about  my 
quiet,  gentle  little  sister,  and  he  is  most  anxious  to 
make  your  acquaintance." 

'Twas  not  kind  of  Will  to  put  me  to  such  con- 
fusion, and  I  scarce  had  sufficient  presence  of  mind 
to  curtsey;  but  Captain  Hale  with  a  sympathetic 
smile  quickly  set  me  at  my  ease. 

"  Do  not  heed  him,  Mistress  Polly,"  he  said,  step- 
ping toward  me  with  outstretched  hand.  "  He  is 
never  so  happy  as  when  he  is  trying  to  tease  some 
one.  Which  I  hold  is  very  unmannerly." 

73 


74  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

His  voice  was  so  low  and  musical  that  I  forgot 
my  embarrassment.  Sure  'twas  plain  to  me  then 
why  every  one  who  knew  him  had  a  good  word  to 
say  of  Mr.  Nathan  Hale. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  have  been  so  hoydenish,"  I  fal- 
tered, "  but  I  was  glad  to  see  my  brother  again." 

"  He  does  not  deserve  so  hearty  a  welcome," 
said  Captain  Hale.  "  The  next  time  I  should  pay 
him  no  such  compliment." 

"  Not  even  if  he  be  hungry."  Added  mother  with 
a  laugh. 

"  Ha !  "  cried  Will.  "  Polly  wouldn't  starve  her 
brother. 

"  ,You  deserve  naught  but  bread  and  water,"  I 
answered,  pretending  great  indignation. 

"  If  the  bread  be  of  your  baking  I  ask  no  better," 
he  replied,  so  gallantly  that  he  won  my  forgiveness 
on  the  instant.  "  And  Hale,"  he  went  on,  "  you'll 
not  find  a  stauncher  patriot  in  all  the  Colonies  than 
this  same  Polly  Trotter." 

"  I  can  well  believe  that,"  said  Mr.  Hale. 

"  But  girls  can  do  naught,"  I  complained. 

;'  They  can  feed  the  hungry,"  Will  remarked  flip- 
pantly. 

"  Ay,  'tis  all  they're  thought  fit  for,"  I  grumbled. 

"  Small  blame  to  them,"  Mr.  Hale  insisted  ear- 
nestly. 'Tis  not  fair  to  give  the  boys  all  the  ad- 
vantages. Had  I  my  way  the  girls  should  go  to 
college  with  their  brothers." 

'  You  preach  a  revolution,  Mr.  Hale,"  said 
mother,  with  keen  interest. 

"He  has  all  sorts  of  outlandish  notions,"  Will 
put  in  lightly. 

"  Nay,"  Mr.  Hale  retorted,  "  it  does  not  seem 
strange  to  me  that  women  should  be  given  equal 
advantages  for  education  with  men.  Being  a  school- 


A  Mad  Adventure  75 

master,  Madam  Trotter,"  he  went  on,  speaking  di- 
rectly to  mother,  "  I  have  thought  deeply  on  the 
subject,  and  when  the  war  is  over  I  mean  to  prove 
my  theories." 

"  A  truce  to  your  lectures,  Master  Hale,"  laughed 
Will;  and  at  that  they  talked  of  other  things,  while 
I,  sitting  by  mother's  side,  took  note  of  our  visitor. 

Truth  to  tell  my  prejudice  against  him  had  van- 
ished, as  I  have  said,  at  first  sight.  He  did  not  look 
like  any  schoolmaster  I  had  ever  known  nor  did  he 
talk  like  one,  though  to  be  sure  he  was  serious  enough 
when  the  occasion  served.  But  he  had  none  of  that 
air  of  great  wisdom  such  as  those  of  his  profession 
are  still  wont  to  affect.  Nor  did  he  smile  sneeringly 
when  his  opinion  upon  any  subject  was  questioned. 
He  was  never  a  solemn  kill-joy  but  could  laugh  and 
joke  with  the  best  and  seemed  to  love  life  with  a 
buoyant,  happy  boyishness  that  won  all  hearts. 

In  stature  he  was  nigh  as  tall  as  Roger  Delancy, 
broad-shouldered  and  deep-chested,  with  a  look  of 
strength  above  the  average.  Yet  it  was  none  of 
these  things  one  thought  of  in  his  presence,  but  rather 
of  the  earnest  expression  of  his  face  that  was  the 
key  to  his  character.  His  brown  hair  matched  a 
ruddy  complection  and  many  girls  would  have 
thought  him  very  handsome;  though  from  the  first 
I  was  most  impressed  by  his  look  of  resolution  and 
purpose.  Once  his  hand  was  set  to  a  task  I  felt 
sure  he  would  accomplish  it,  no  matter  what  ob- 
stacles might  be  in  the  way.  As  I  grew  to  know 
him  better,  I  found,  as  had  all  his  associates,  be 
they  officers  or  privates,  that  the  freeing  of  our 
country  filled  his  thoughts,  and  to  that  end  he  was 
working  with  all  the  energy  of  his  bodily  and  in- 
tellectual strength. 

From  that  day  onward  he  was  free  to  come  and 


76  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

go  in  our  house.  He  and  Will  had  formed  a  close 
friendship  and,  though  my  brother  effected  a  light- 
ness of  spirit,  he  made  no  secret  of  his  affection  of 
Mr.  Hale  and  was  ready  to  follow  him  blindly 
wherever  he  might  lead. 

Another  friend  of  both  Will's  and  Mr.  Hale's 
was  Mr.  John  Hull,  a  Captain  with  the  Connecti- 
cut troops.  These  three,  with  mother  and  me  to 
listen,  met  in  the  surgery  as  often  as  they  could  be 
spared  from  their  duties,  to  talk  over  the  affairs 
of  the  country  and  plan  the  measures  they  would 
take  were  they  at  the  head  of  the  nation.  All  were 
young,  and  I  doubt  not  much  of  their  criticism  of 
their  elders  in  command  was  foolish,  for  'tis  cer- 
tain the  members  of  Congress  assembled  in  Phila- 
delphia received  a  mighty  share  of  censure  at  their 
hands;  but  in  all  their  talk  I  never  heard  a  word 
of  aught  but  praise  for  General  Washington,  who 
was  vastly  admired  by  his  younger  officers. 

The  city  during  these  days  was  in  a  feverish  state 
of  excitement.  It  had  become  certain  now  that 
General  Howe  would  sooner  or  later  attempt  to 
take  the  town,  so  work  went  on  upon  the  fortifica- 
tions night  and  day.  Almost  hourly  fresh  troops  ar- 
rived from  all  parts  of  the  Colonies,  tired  and  dusty 
after  their  long  marches;  but  there  was  little  time 
for  rest  and  they  were  soon  set  to  drilling  in  prep- 
aration for  the  mighty  struggle  that  was  to  come. 

Some  of  these  poor  soldiers  had  scarce  sufficient 
clothing  to  cover  them  and  fresh  supplies  were  well- 
nigh  unobtainable.  I  saw  hundreds  tramping  the 
streets  in  rags,  their  feet  wrapped  in  straw  or  old 
cloths  in  lieu  of  boots.  Indeed  so  great  was  the 
demand  for  all  sorts  of  essential  articles  that  those 
whose  task  it  was  to  supply  them  were  in  despair. 

This  destitute  state  of  his  men  touched  Mr.  Hale 


A  Mad  Adventure  77 

deeply,  and  he  would  have  spared  no  pains  to  re- 
lieve them  if  he  had  had  the  power. 

"  I  would  give  my  last  penny  to  get  those  poor 
fellows  shoes,"  he  cried  one  evening  as  if  the  knowl- 
edge of  their  privations  was  more  than  he  could  bear. 

"  Nay,  'tis  not  a  matter  of  money,"  said  Mr.  Hull. 

"  But  what  must  they  think  of  their  Captain  to 
let  them  suffer  so?  "  Mr.  Hale  burst  out. 

"  They  know  you  can  do  naught,"  Will  insisted. 
"  Sure  you've  proved  that  to  them.  You  gave  all 
your  pay  to  make  them  comfortable  in  Cambridge." 

"  Ay,  and  little  enough,"  murmured  Captain 
Hale,  striding  across  the  room. 

Now  all  this  time  there  were  numerous  vessels 
anchored  in  the  harbour  filled  with  just  such  sup- 
plies as  our  army  stood  most  in  need  of.  They  had 
been  sent  from  England  to  re-equip  the  British  regi- 
ments, and,  as  I  sat  sewing,  listening  to  the  men's 
talk  I  wondered  greatly  why  no  attempt  had  been 
made  to  capture  one  of  those  boats. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  I  ventured  timidly,  "  that 
were  I  a  man  I  should  go  secretly  and  take  one  of 
those  supply  ships  in  the  harbour." 

All  three  turned  to  me  with  a  look  of  surprise 
as  if  for  a  moment  they  might  have  forgotten  my 
presence,  then  Will  burst  out  into  a  laugh. 

"  'Tis  lucky  you're  a  girl,  Polly,"  he  said. 
"  Were  it  otherwise,  and  you  should  attempt  such 
a  scheme,  I  should  lose  both  a  brother  and  a  sis- 
ter." 

"  'Tis  quite  out  of  the  question,  Mistress  Trot- 
ter," Captain  Hull,  attempted  to  explain  politely. 
"  You  see  the  British  men-of-war  have  a  peculiar 
care  for  those  vessels  and  every  one  of  them  lies 
under  the  guns  of  their  ships-of-the-line." 

I  was  but  half  listening  to  Mr.  Hull's  talk,  for  my 


78  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

eyes  were  upon  Captain  Hale,  who,  on  hearing  my 
suggestion,  had  paused  in  his  restless  walk  and  was 
staring  at  the  carpet.  He,  I  knew,  would  give  the 
final  word  and  though  this  idea  of  mine  had  but 
popped  into  my  head  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  I 
awaited  his  opinion  before  abandoning  it  entirely. 

"  We  have  no  war-ships  to  fight  them  with,"  Will 
was  saying,  "  otherwise,  I  doubt  not,  we  should  have 
had  a  try  at  them  long  ere  this." 

"  I  would  that  we  dared  attempt  it ! "  Mr.  Hull 
declared,  "  but  'tis  impossible." 

"  Nay,  'tis  not  impossible !  "  Mr.  Hale's  resolute 
voice  filled  the  room. 

"  What  wild  plan  have  you  in  your  mind  now?  " 
demanded  Mr.  Hull,  looking  apprehensively  at  his 
friend. 

"  No  wild  plan  at  all,  John,"  Mr.  Hale  pro- 
tested, "  though  I  grant  you  there's  a  risk.  Never- 
theless it  can  be  done."  As  he  ended  he  began 
striding  excitedly  up  and  down  the  room. 

"  What  is  in  your  mind?  "  Mr.  Hull  asked  a  sec- 
ond time. 

"  This,"  Mr.  Hale  began,  coming  to  a  stop  in 
front  of  us.  "  There's  a  sloop  lying  in  the  East 
River  and  I  mean  to  have  her  1  " 

"  I  know  the  one  you  mean  1  "  exclaimed  Will 
eagerly.  "  They  say  she's  filled  with  all  sorts  of 
supplies." 

"  Ay,  so  she  is,"  agreed  Mr.  Hull,  "  but  have 
you  forgot  that  the  Asia  is  within  hail  of  her  and 
has  enough  guns  aboard  to  blow  out  of  the  water 
anything  we  could  bring  against  her?  " 

"  Nay,  I've  not  forgot  it,"  Mr.  Hale  went  on 
confidently,  "  but  we  need  not  go  with  trumpet  and 
drum  to  proclaim  our  coming.  'Twas  Mistress 
Polly  had  the  right  idea,  and  it  can  be  done.  We've 


A  Mad  Adventure  79 

all  been  thinking  of  fighting.  I  say  *  let's  fool 
'em!'" 

"Ay,  but  how?"  asked  Will,  ready  for  any  ad- 
venture. 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  Mr.  Hale  explained,  drawing 
up  a  chair  and  lowering  his  voice  to  a  whisper. 
"  That  sloop  carries  no  more  than  half  a  dozen 
men  at  most.  I  will  take  six  of  mine  — ." 

"  Five's  enough,  for  I'm  going,"  Will  cut  in. 

"  That  will  settle  itself  later,"  Mr.  Hale  said, 
shortly.  "  The  point  is  this.  We  take  a  small  boat 
and  board  the  sloop  in  the  darkness  of  the  early 
morning  and  secure  the  watch  without  a  sound. 
Then  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  sail  the  vessel  to  the 
shore  under  our  own  guns.  'Twill  need  a  scant 
two  hours." 

"  The  Colonel  will  never  give  you  leave  to  go," 
Mr.  Hull  demurred. 

"  There  I  think  you're  right,"  agreed  Mr.  Hale 
with  a  smile.  "  And  I  don't  mean  to  ask  him." 

"What!  You'll  take  the  responsibility  on  your- 
self! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Hull. 

"  Ay,"  said  Mr.  Hale  quietly. 

"  And  be  cashiered  when  you  return,"  predicted 
Mr.  Hull. 

"  Nay,  there  I  disagree,"  replied  Mr.  Hale.  "  // 
I  return  it  will  be  with  the  sloop, —  and  I'll  warrant 
the  Colonel  will  have  no  thought  of  censure  once 
he  sees  the  supplies  she  holds.  If  I  come  not  back 
I  shall  have  little  interest  whether  or  not  I  am 
cashiered." 

"  Nay,  Nathan,  give  it  up,"  Mr.  Hull  pleaded. 
"  'Tis  not  on  my  own  account  I  ask  you,  for  I  can- 
not join  you,  being  on  duty  with  His  Excellency  to- 
night; but  for  your  own  sake  I  beg  it." 

"  I  doubted  not  your  courage,  John,"  said  Mr. 


8o  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Hale.  u  'Tis  always  that  your  fear  for  me  makes 
you  too  solictious.  But  I  must  go  through  with  it." 

"  'Tis  a  mad  plan,  and  no  fit  duty  for  an  officer!  " 
exclaimed  Mr.  Hull,  exasperated  at  the  other's  de- 
termination. 

"  There  you  are  wrong,"  declared  Mr.  Hale,  and 
his  voice  vibrated  with  the  emotion  he  plainly  felt. 
"  I  wish  to  be  useful,  and  if  the  exigencies  of  my 
country  demand  a  peculiar  service  its  claims  to  the 
performance  of  that  service  are  imperious !  " 

His  voice  rang  out  almost  exultingly  and  in  the 
days  to  come  I  took  much  comfort  from  his  words. 
But  at  the  time  we  sat  silent  for  a  moment,  impressed 
mainly  by  his  earnestness  and  determination  to  do 
anything  that  might  further  the  cause  of  his  coun- 
try. 

'  Think  you  the  gain  would  be  worth  the  risk, 
Mr.  Hale  ?  "  asked  mother,  in  a  quiet  voice. 

He  turned  to  her  with  a  loving  expression  on  his 
face,  as  if  to  his  own  mother,  well  knowing  what 
was  in  her  thoughts. 

"  I  think,  Madam  Trotter,  that  my  own  friend 
John  Hull  exaggerates  the  risk,"  he  said  gently, 
"  but  were  it  twice  as  great  it  would  be  worth  the 
trial.  I  need  not  tell  you  the  suffering  it  would  re- 
lieve an  we  are  successful;  but  there  is  no  cause  for 
you  to  worry.  Will's  going  is  not  necessary." 

"  I  shall  not  stand  in  his  way,"  declared  mother, 
firmly.  "  You  spoke  truly  when  you  said  that  any 
service  for  the  country's  good  should  be  performed. 
My  son  shall  go  with  you  if  he  can  help  in  your  en- 
terprise, and  if  he  come  not  back  — "  she  hesitated 
a  moment,  smiling  a  little  sadly,  "  his  life  will  have 
been  given  to  the  land  of  his  birth  quite  as  fully 
as  if  he  had  fallen  upon  the  battlefield  leading  his 
troops  against  the  enemy." 


A  Mad  Adventure  81 

"  Ah,  that's  the  true  spirit  of  patriotism,  Madam 
Trotter,"  said  Mr.  Hale,  looking  earnestly  at  her, 
"  as  for  me,  I  think  it  is  a  sweet  and  fitting  thing 
to  die  for  one's  country." 

For  another  long  moment  we  sat  silent  and  then, 
Mr.  Hull  brought  us  back  to  our  surroundings  with 
a  jerk. 

"  Tis  all  very  well  to  die  for  one's  country," 
he  cried  harshly,  "  but  there  is  little  gain  in  throw- 
ing away  valuable  lives  on  such  a  mad  enterprise." 

Out  of  fairness  to  Captain  Hull  it  must  be  ex- 
plained that  he  thought  not  at  all  of  himself.  'Twas 
his  great  regard  for  Mr.  Hale  that  made  him  pro- 
test then,  as  he  did  later,  when  the  friend  he  loved 
undertook  a  task  of  unusual  danger.  But  he  re- 
monstrated to  no  purpose.  Mr.  Hale  had  come  to 
a  decision  and  would  see  it  through,  come  what 
might. 

"And  when  shall  it  be  done?"  asked  Will. 

Mr.  Hale  jumped  to  his  feet  and,  going  to  the 
window,  pushed  aside  the  blinds  and  looked  out  into 
the  night. 

"  We'll  start  now!  "  he  announced,  turning  back 
into  the  room.  "  'Tis  as  black  as  a  hat  outside, 
and  delay  is  like  to  do  more  harm  than  good.  I  can 
put  my  hand  on  the  men  we  want  within  the  hour." 

He  started  impulsively  toward  the  door  as  if 
eager  to  be  about  the  business. 

We  rose  to  our  feet,  and  my  heart  sank  like  lead 
at  the  prospect  of  the  long  hours  of  anxious  wait- 
ing ahead  of  us.  I  scarce  dared  look  at  mother, 
dreading  to  find  her  a-tremble  at  the  suddenness  of 
this  departure,  but  I  need  not  have  feared  for  her 
courage.  Indeed  she  was  as  calm  when  she  said 
good-bye  to  Will  as  she  would  have  been  had  he  been 
bent  upon  a  junket. 


82  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

The  parting  words  were  few  and  hurried.  None 
of  us  cared  to  dwell  upon  the  possible  outcome ;  but 
as  I  kissed  him  I  found  my  fingers  clutching  Will's 
coat  as  though  I  would  hold  him  back. 

It  seemed  but  a  moment  ere  they  were  gone  and 
I  was  shutting  the  front  door  upon  them. 

"  Oh,  mother,"  I  sobbed,  "  why  did  I  ever  sug- 
gest that  they  should  try  so  mad  an  adventure?  " 

"  Nay,  my  child,"  she  answered,  and  there  was 
a  hint  of  disapproval  in  her  voice,  "  I  do  not  think 
it  a  mad  adventure.  Mr.  Hale  would  run  no  need- 
less risk,  of  that  I  am  well  convinced,  and  on  so 
dark  a  night  'twill  be  no  easy  task  for  the  guns  of 
the  Asia  to  hit  a  small  boat,  even  if  they  are  dis- 
covered. I  am  fully  persuaded  that  they  will  carry 
it  through." 

Whether  mother  was  as  confident  as  she  appeared 
I  know  not,  but  she  heartened  me,  which  may  have 
been  the  motive  behind  her  brave  words. 

I  went  into  the  front  room  and,  crossing  straight 
to  the  window,  looked  out  into  the  black  night. 
There  was  no  light  behind  me  so  that  I  could  not  be 
seen  from  the  street,  and  peering  down  the  Broad 
Way  I  saw  Will  and  the  others  pass  under  a  swing- 
ing lanthorn  about  a  block  off  and  disappear  in  the 
darkness. 

Opposite  our  house  a  street  lamp  burned  dimly, 
and  as  I  turned  my  eyes  toward  it  a  black,  crouch- 
ing figure  suddenly  passed,  as  if  from  nowhere,  into 
its  yellow  circle  of  light.  The  man  halted  a  mo- 
ment, turning  toward  me  a  face  wizzened  and  cun- 
ning as  a  fox's,  and  at  once  I  recognized  the  spy  who 
had  spoken  to  Roger  the  day  he  left  New  York. 
He  glanced  toward  me  but  for  an  instant,  then,  bend- 
ing low  and  hugging  the  wall,  he  seemed  to  fade  out 


A  Mad  Adventure  83 

of  sight  in  th«  direction  taken  by  the  three  young 
officers. 

Doubtless  it  was  the  fellow's  stealthy  movements 
that  put  the  notion  into  my  head,  but,  whatever  the 
cause,  I  was  convinced  that  he  had  been  watching 
the  house,  and  was  now  following  the  young  men 
to  spy  upon  them. 

If  that  were  the  case  he  would  warn  the  British, 
and  any  attempt  to  take  the  sloop  under  such  cir- 
cumstances could  only  result  in  their  capture. 

With  a  little  cry  of  despair  I  ran  to  mother  with 
my  fears. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE    SPY'S   MESSENGER 

IT  took  but  a  moment  to  tell  mother  what  I  had 
seen,  and  'twas  all  too  plain  that  she  shared 
my  belief  in  the   spy's  purpose.     As   she   lis- 
tened, I  saw  her  grow  white  of  a  sudden,  and  re- 
membered too  late   father's  oft  repeated  warning 
not  to  startle  her  because  she  suffered  from  a  malady 
of  the  heart. 

"  Oh,  mother,  I  should  not  have  told  you!"  I 
cried,  realizing  that  with  all  her  fortitude  there  was  a 
limit  to  her  strength. 

She  shook  her  head  in  denial  but  for  the  moment 
could  not  speak,  then  she  rallied  bravely. 

"  You  must  be  off  to  warn  them,  Mary,"  she 
whispered.  "  Waste  no  time.  There  is  no  one  else 
to  save  them." 

I  was  ready  enough  but  as  I  looked  at  mother, 
lying  back  in  her  chair,  nigh  to  fainting,  I  knew 
not  which  way  to  turn.  I  could  not  bring  myself 
to  leave  her  and  yet  — . 

"  Get  Betty  —  and  —  go,"  she  murmured  weakly, 
as  if  reading  my  thoughts,  and  seeing  that  to  obey 
would  be  the  best  service,  I  hurried  off  to  do  her 
bidding. 

After  rousing  Betty  I  went  to  my  room  and,  grop- 
ing in  the  press,  found  a  hooded  woolen  cloak  that 
covered  me  from  top  to  toe.  Wrapping  this  round 
me  as  I  ran  I  was  soon  back  in  the  surgery  to  show 
mother  that  I  was  ready. 

84 


The  Spy's  Messenger  85 

She  nodded  encouragingly,  forcing  a  little  smile 
to  hearten  me,  yet  she  looked  so  ill  that  I  was  most 
unwilling  to  leave  her.  However,  she  was  impa- 
tient to  have  me  gone,  and  hearing  black  Betty  upon 
the  stair,  I  kissed  her  good-bye  forthwith.  A  mo- 
ment later  I  was  out  upon  the  street  hurrying  down 
the  Broad  Way  toward  the  harbour  with  no  thought 
in  my  head  but  to  be  upon  my  way,  and  not  yet 
realizing  the  difficulties  of  my  task. 

'Twas  not  until  I  neared  the  Trinity  church  yard 
that  I  came  to  my  senses  and  began  to  appreciate  that 
I  knew  not  where  to  find  those  I  sought.  I  had 
started  out  with  a  half-formed  notion  that  I  would 
overtake  them,  but  so  far  I  had  not  caught  sight  of 
a  soul.  Ahead  of  me,  gleaming  brightly  in  the  dis- 
tance I  could  see  the  flames  of  huge  fires  kindled  to 
give  light  to  those  who  worked  upon  the  barricades 
near  the  Bowling  Green.  There  I  knew  I  should 
find  people  in  plenty,  but  not  those  I  was  looking 
for.  'Twas  not  in  the  mind  of  Captain  Hale  and 
his  companions  to  call  attention  to  themselves  and 
they  had  doubtless  turned  off  at  one  of  the  cross 
streets  leading  to  the  rivers. 

But  had  they  turned  to  the  right  or  left?  Naught 
had  been  said  of  their  plans,  and  though  the  sloop 
they  hoped  to  capture  lay  in  the  East  River,  they 
might  start  out  from  the  Hudson  side  of  the  Island, 
row  round  the  fort  and  so  come  upon  their  quarry 
from  that  direction. 

I  stopped  in  my  tracks,  bewildered  by  my  help- 
lessness. To  be  sure  I  might  search  them  out 
among  our  soldiers;  but  to  blunder  from  one  en- 
campment to  another  asking  for  Captain  Hale  would 
start  a  hue  and  cry  upon  their  tracks.  This  would 
by  no  means  do,  for  I  had  not  forgot  that  Captain 
Hull  had  declared  that  those  in  high  authority 


86  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

would  not  countenance  Captain  Hale's  plan.  To 
discover  the  matter  to  those  in  command  of  the 
army  would,  at  best,  lead  to  the  disgrace  of  those 
I  wished  to  save,  and  might  easily  fail  to  help  them. 

I  argued  thus  with  myself,  concluding  that  only 
as  a  last  resort  would  I  seek  in  that  direction  for 
aid;  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  hit  upon  no  other 
road  out  of  my  perplexity. 

"  Faith  a  girl  makes  a  poor  patriot !  "  I  murmured 
half  aloud.  "  Had  I  been  a  boy  I  should  have 
known  what  to  do." 

But  scolding  myself  brought  me  no  nearer  to  find- 
ing Will  and  the  others.  If  I  were  to  do  aught  I 
must  be  at  it  quickly,  for  already  many  precious  mo- 
ments had  slipped  by  and  each  one  brought  disaster 
nearer  to  those  I  meant  to  save. 

Trusting  to  luck,  I  started  off  toward  the  Hud- 
son River,  hoping  I  might  stumble  upon  them  when 
I  gained  the  shore,  for  though  that  chance  seemed 
remote  'twas  better  to  do  something  than  to  stand 
still. 

It  was  but  a  short  distance  to  the  water  and  as 
I  neared  it  a  number  of  people  appeared  upon  the 
streets.  All  seemed  bent  upon  their  own  affairs 
and  paid  scant  heed  to  me,  but  I  pulled  my  hood 
about  my  face,  deeming  it  wise  to  attract  as  little 
attention  as  possible. 

After  a  fruitless  search  up  and  down  the  shore 
I  came  to  a  stop  under  a  lanthorn  hanging  from 
the  wall  of  a  house.  I  was  at  my  wit's  end  what 
to  do  next.  Two  alternatives  only  seemed  open  to 
me.  I  could  go  to  the  East  River  and  continue  hunt- 
ing there,  or  I  must  hasten  to  headquarters  and 
tell  my  tale  to  the  first  officer  who  demanded  to  know 
what  I  was  doing  abroad  at  such  an  hour  of  the 
night.  The  latter  course  held  out  the  sole  hope 


The  Spy's  Messenger  87 

so  far  as  I  could  see.  I  no  longer  had  any  time  to 
waste  in  aimless  looking  here  and  there,  trusting 
to  mere  chance.  If  aught  was  to  be  done  it  must 
be  done  at  once,  no  matter  what  the  outcome. 
Should  no  other  plan  occur  to  me,  disgrace  for  Cap- 
tain Hale  and  Will  seemed  the  best  that  could  be 
hoped  for;  but  their  lives  must  be  saved. 

Then  on  a  sudden  I  remembered  father.  I 
should  find  him  at  headquarters,  and  to  avoid  awk- 
ward questioning  upon  my  errand,  I  need  but  ask 
for  him  saying  that  mother  was  ill;  which,  I  re- 
membered with  a  pang,  was  indeed  the  truth.  He 
would  know  what  measures  to  take,  and  I  blamed 
myself  for  not  thinking  of  this  sooner.  It  should 
have  been  my  first  business  once  I  realized  my  posi- 
tion ;  but  it  had  taken  an  hour  or  more  to  enter  my 
thick  head. 

"  How  could  I  have  been  so  stupid?  "  I  thought, 
and  pulling  my  hood  close  about  my  face,  I  was  on 
the  point  of  starting  back  to  the  Broad  Way  when 
a  hissed  word  halted  me. 

"Stupid!/' 

For  an  instant  I  almost  fancied  I  must  have 
spoke  my  thought  aloud,  yet  I  was  certain  I  had  not. 

"  Come  out  of  the  light,  stupid!  " 

This  time  there  was  no  doubt.  The  words  were 
muttered  in  an  undertone  a  few  feet  away  from 
where  I  stood. 

Why  I  know  not,  but  instinctively  I  moved  to- 
ward the  voice  in  obedience  to  its  command,  and 
immediately  a  man's  figure  slouched  to  meet  me, 
scarce  visible  in  the  dense  shadow  of  the  wall. 

"  Will  you  never  learn  to  keep  in  the  dark?  " 
the  man  grumbled.  "  Step  nearer." 

I  did  as  he  bade  me,  a  little  fearfully,  for  there 
was  a  menace  in  his  tone  and  it  was  plain  that  he 


88  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

mistook  me  for  another.  I  opened  my  mouth  to 
apprise  him  of  his  error,  but  ere  I  could  speak,  his 
querulous  voice  was  sounding  in  my  ear. 

"  Listen  now,  stupid,  and  don't  prattle,"  he  be- 
gan in  an  undertone.  "  You  must  tell  his  Lord- 
ship that  the  rebel  General  Washington  is  to  die 
to-night  if  all  goes  well.  You  understand?  To- 
night 1" 

At  the  man's  words  my  wits  sharpened.  'Twas 
plain  he  supposed  me  to  be  a  go-between  he  was 
wont  to  meet,  and  I  gave  up  the  intention  of  set- 
ting him  right.  Mere  chance  had  brought  me  to 
this  place  at  the  appointed  time,  and  there  was  war- 
rant enough  in  the  little  he  had  already  said  to  bid 
me  hide  my  identity  and  hear  all  I  could  of  the 
plot  he  hinted  at. 

These  thoughts  flashed  through  my  brain  rapidly 
and  I  was  about  to  answer  him,  but  already  he  was 
impatient  at  my  silence. 

"  Oh,  ho !  "  he  muttered,  "  thou'rt  in  one  of 
thy  tongue-tied  moods. —  What  possesses  you, 
stupid?  Last  night  you  scarce  let  me  get  in  a  word 
edgewise." 

Here  was  a  hint  of  the  part  I  must  play,  and 
with  it  a  warning.  This  was  not  the  first  time  these 
two  had  met  and  my  voice  might  betray  me  if  I 
spoke  naturally,  yet  speak  I  must,  for  again  he  de- 
manded an  answer. 

"  Have  done  with  thy  sullen  ways,"  he  broke 
out.  "  The  matter  is  planned  for  to-night.  Have 
you  that  much  straight  in  your  thick  head  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  breathed  through  my  lips,  trusting  that 
whispers  might  sound  much  the  same  no  matter  who 
uttered  them. 

"  So  far  so  good,"  he  resumed,  with  no  sign  of 
suspicion.  "  Now  attend.  I  have  come  to  an  un- 


The  Spy's  Messenger  89 

derstanding  with  one  of  Washington's  body-guards 
named  Hickey. 

"To  kill  the  rebel  General?"  I  questioned,  try- 
ing to  keep  to  the  part  I  must  play. 

"  Ay,  to  be  sure,"  he  answered  with  a  grim 
chuckle.  "  Once  their  leader  is  gone  this  silly  rev- 
olution will  end  like  a  pricked  bubble." 

"And  who  shall  I  tell  it  to?"  I  ventured,  hop- 
ing he  might  betray  the  identity  of  the  other  plotter. 

"  To  his  Lordship,  stupid,"  he  growled.  "  Think 
thee  any  other  would  heed  thy  imbecile  babblings? 
Thou  art  a  safe  messenger,  albeit  a  most  exasperat- 
ing one." 

Here  again  I  had  a  hint  of  the  character  I  must 
needs  impersonate,  and  also  an  appreciation  of  the 
cunning  displayed  by  these  plotters  who,  it  was 
plain,  made  use  of  some  poor,  half-witted  girl  to 
communicate  with  each  other  and  so  avoided  the 
danger  of  being  seen  together. 

"  Now  comes  the  important  part,"  the  man  went 
on.  "  This  Hickey  must  be  paid  a  hundred  guineas 
and  be  given  passage  to  Ireland.  'Tis  all  you  need 
to  say.  His  Lordship  will  know  what  to  do  an  you 
get  that  much  straight." 

He  paused  a  moment  as  if  waiting  for  me  to 
speak,  and  I  tried  in  vain  to  make  out  his  features, 
but  it  was  so  dark  that  even  his  shape  was  hid  from 
me  and  he  showed  but  as  a  blacker  spot  in  the 
gloom. 

"You  understand  about  the  hundred  guineas?" 
he  asked,  separating  the  words  and  speaking  slowly 
as  if  to  a  child. 

1  Yes,"  I  whispered. 

"  And  a  passage  to  Ireland?  Get  that  into  your 
head." 

"  And  a  passage  to  Ireland,"  I  repeated  dully. 


90  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Good !  That  will  be  enough  to  carry  in  your 
empty  pate  at  one  time,"  he  muttered  to  himself, 
and  I  heard  the  jingle  of  coins.  A  moment  later  he 
fumbled  at  my  cloak. 

"Where  is  your  hand?"  he  demanded.  "You 
were  ever  quick  enough  at  this  part  of  the  busi- 


ness." 


I  thrust  out  an  empty  palm  and  he  put  a  copper 
into  it  with  a  grunt  of  impatience. 

"  See  that  you  earn  it."  He  growled,  and  was 
about  to  move  off,  but  turned,  hesitatingly. 

"  Think  you  that  for  another  penny  you  could  re- 
member two  messages?"  he  asked,  and  'twas  evi- 
dent he  had  little  faith  that  I  could  accomplish  so 
difficult  a  task. 

"  I'll  e'en  try,"  I  answered,  giving  a  hint  of  eager- 
ness to  my  words,  and  moving  closer  to  him. 

"  Ay,  you  have  your  wits  about  you  when  'tis 
a  matter  of  money,"  he  growled.  "  Could  I  go 
myself  I  wouldn't  trust  you;  but  I  have  other  busi- 
ness that  cannot  wait,  so  perforce  I'll  have  to  risk 
it,  though  I  doubt  not  you'll  mix  things  badly.  At- 
tend now !  " 

"  Ay,"  I  murmured. 

"  Tell  his  Lordship  that  the  ships  in  the  harbour 
must  be  warned  that  something  is  a-foot,"  he  be- 
gan, speaking  half  to  himself,  as  if  he  pondered 
a  perplexing  matter  while  he  thought.  "  What  is 
in  the  wind  I  know  not,  but  something  is  hatching 
in  the  house  of  that  rebel  Doctor  Trotter.  I  fol- 
lowed the  son  with  two  others  to  the  river  where 
they  seemed  to  choose  a  boat  and  then — "  He 
broke  off  abruptly,  as  if  he  suddenly  remembered  to 
whom  he  was  speaking.  "  Why  do  I  ever  forget 
that  your  poor  head  can  hold  but  just  so  much? 
Listen!  Say  to  his  Lordship  that  the  war-ships  in 


The  Spy's  Messenger  91 

the  harbour  must  be  warned.  You  understand 
that?" 

"  Ay,"  I  mumbled,  scarce  able  to  control  my 
trembling  lips. 

"  There's  some  plot  for  to-night.     Understand?  " 

"  Ay,"  I  repeated. 

"  'Tis  well  then,  and  I  trust  you  will  keep  the  two 
matters  separate,"  he  ended,  stepping  past  me  to- 
ward the  light. 

But  'twas  not  in  my  mind  to  let  him  go  so  easily. 
While  he  had  been  talking  I  had  again  tried,  with- 
out avail,  to  see  his  face;  for  after  all  he  had  told 
me  I  must  know  who  he  was.  Were  he  the  spy,  I 
was  assured  that  all  would  be  well  with  Will  and 
his  companions.  On  the  other  hand  this  man  might 
be  only  a  confederate,  and  if  still  another  had  the 
knowledge  of  their  movements  Captain  Male's  little 
party  was  no  better  off  than  before. 

With  a  quick  start  toward  him  I  thrust  out  my 
hand  and  jostled  him  into  the  circle  of  light,  keeping 
myself  still  in  the  shadows. 

"  You  promised  another  copper,"  I  panted,  as  if 
my  only  thought  was  for  the  money,  and  with  a 
snarling  laugh  he  turned  his  face  toward  me. 

It  was  the  spy ! 

"Hoity-toity!  "  he  blustered,  jumping  back  nim- 
bly into  the  darkness  at  my  side.  "  Have  a  care 
what  you  do,  Stupid,  or  I'll  warrant  you  earn  no 
more  pennies,"  and  with  that  he  pressed  another  coin 
into  my  palm.  "  Be  off  with  you,"  he  ended,  but 
ere  I  made  a  move,  he  sprang  into  the  kennel  and 
disappeared  as  if  by  magic. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AT    HEADQUARTERS 

NOW  indeed  were  my  thoughts  weighted  with 
heavy  matters,  though  to  be  sure,  my  im- 
mediate cares  were  somewhat  lightened.  At 
least  His  Lordship  would  send  no  word  to  the  Asia 
that  night.  By  great  good  luck  I  was  enabled  to 
prevent  that,  but  I  was  far  from  thinking  that  I  de- 
served any  credit  for  the  part  I  had  played.  In 
truth  it  had  been  my  stupidity  in  not  going  directly 
to  father  that  had  brought  about  a  dangerous  situa- 
tion, and  it  struck  me  as  passing  strange  that  the 
spy  should  have  had  so  pat  upon  his  lips  the  word 
that  best  described  my  action  and  somewhat  of  his 
own  as  well. 

But  I  wasted  little  time  thinking  of  these  things 
and  bent  my  steps  back  to  the  Broad  Way  at  as 
rapid  a  rate  as  I  dared.  I  needed  no  one  to  tell 
me  how  grave  a  business  was  this  plot  against  Gen- 
eral Washington.  Whether  or  not  our  revolt 
against  King  George  would  fail  with  the  death  of 
the  Commander-in-Chief,  as  the  spy  had  predicted, 
I  could  not  tell ;  but  I  had  heard  enough  talk  among 
Will's  friends  in  the  army  to  realize  that  such  an 
event  would  be  nothing  short  of  a  disaster. 

And  the  more  I  pondered  the  matter  as  I  hastened 
along  the  dark  streets,  the  more  the  knowledge  ap- 
palled me.  Save  for  those  in  the  plot  I  was  the  only 
one  who  knew  of  its  existence,  and  upon  me  alone 
fell  the  responsibility  of  thwarting  it.  Every  minute 

92 


At  Headquarters  93 

that  passed  brought  the  time  for  the  dread  event 
just  that  much  nearer  and  I  began  to  tremble  lest 
I  should  be  too  late. 

As  every  one  in  the  city  knew,  Mr.  Washington 
had  his  headquarters  in  the  famous  Kennedy  man- 
sion now  owned  by  Mr.  Nathaniel  Prime.  It  was 
the  first  house  on  the  Broad  Way,  and  'twas  there 
that  I  directed  my  steps,  though  I  was  sure  I  should 
have  difficulty  in  winning  my  way  in,  for  lines  of 
guards  were  stationed  for  several  blocks  above  and 
below  the  barricades  that  were  being  built  just  south 
of  the  Bowling  Green,  which  lay  opposite.  Yet 
this  troubled  me  now  not  at  all.  I  should  be  only 
too  glad  to  tell  my  tale  to  the  first  soldier  who  de- 
manded to  know  my  business  and  why  I  was  abroad 
so  late,  for  I  was  most  anxious  to  be  relieved  of  the 
responsibility  that  had  been  thrust  upon  my  young 
shoulders. 

I  found  the  Broad  Way  as  deserted  as  I  had  left 
it  and  began  running  at  the  top  of  my  speed  toward 
the  harbour;  but  I  had  scarce  gone  a  block  when 
another  thought  popped  into  my  head  to  plague  me. 

After  all  could  I  be  so  indifferent  to  the  one  to 
whom  I  told  my  tale?  I  knew  nothing  of  this 
Hickey.  The  spy  had  said  he  was  a  "  body-guard," 
but  I  was  exceedingly  doubtful  just  what  that  office 
might  be.  I  had  heard  Will  and  the  others  talk  of 
"  aides  "  of  "  staff-officers  "  and  of  "  body-guards." 
I  knew  too  that  there  were  numbers  of  young  men 
constantly  in  attendance  upon  the  General  in  one 
capacity  or  another,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  it 
would  be  a  high  honour  to  guard  the  life  of  the 
Commander-in-Chief.  What  sort  of  a  man  then 
was  this  Hickey?  He  might  be  any  one  of  the 
young  officers  I  would  be  like  to  meet  at  headquar- 
ters. I  would  have  no  way  of  knowing  him  from 


94  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

the  others,  and,  moreover,  it  was  by  no  means  cer- 
tain that  he  was  the  only  one  near  to  Mr.  Washing- 
ton who  was  concerned  in  the  plot.  The  more  I 
thought  of  this  the  more  convinced  I  became  that 
others  must  be  privy  to  the  matter.  And  how  dared 
I  in  these  circumstances  trust  any  one  I  did  not 
know?  I  might  easily  hit  upon  a  man  who  would 
suppress  the  news  I  gave  and  then,  perchance,  hasten 
the  tragedy. 

I  slackened  my  pace  thinking  to  ponder  this  diffi- 
culty, but  in  a  moment  I  hurried  on  again.  I  had 
no  intention  of  being  stupid  a  second  time.  This 
affair  was  of  too  much  importance  to  the  country 
either  for  delay  or  for  bungling  by  an  inexperienced 
maid.  I  would  go  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Prime  and 
ask  the  whereabouts  of  father.  They  would  doubt- 
less take  me  to  him  at  once  and  there  the  matter 
would  end  so  far  as  I  was  concerned. 

Upon  this  resolve  I  settled  into  a  steady  trot, 
making  for  the  glare  of  the  fires  about  the  barri- 
cades, and  as  I  approached  I  could  see  the  forms  of 
the  men  at  work  flitting  in  and  out  as  they  passed 
from  the  darkness  to  the  light,  like  black  shadows 
thrown  upon  a  screen.  As  I  drew  nearer  I  slowed 
to  a  walk  but  as  I  had  expected,  was  stopped  a  good 
block  above  the  house  I  sought.  A  sturdy  soldier 
barred  my  way  with  his  musket. 

"What's  your  business?"  he  growled,  surlily, 
and  had  I  been  less  in  earnest  I  should  have  quailed 
at  his  forbidding  exterior. 

"  I  wish  to  find  my  father,"  I  answered  steadily. 

"  Ay,  there's  hundreds  on  that  errand  to-night," 
he  blurted  out  angrily.  "  Fathers,  brothers,  grand- 
fathers — 'tis  all  one.  Go  back  to  your  bed.  This 
is  no  place  for  a  child  to  snoop  about  out  of  curios- 
ity." 


At  Headquarters  95 

"  Indeed  'tis  not  curiosity  that  brings  me  here," 
I  answered  earnestly.  "  My  mother  is  ill  and  I 
must  find  my  father." 

"Ha,  ha!  Your  mother  is  ill,  is  she?"  he  re- 
torted. "  Think  you  she  is  the  only  one  who  is 
sick  in  this  town?  Nay,  lass,  try  some  newer  excuse 
to  get  your  father,  or  whoever  it  is,  off  the 
work." 

"  But  I  tell  you  my  mother  is  ill,"  I  insisted,  "  and 
'tis  most  important  that  I  see  my  father  at  once." 

"  And  'tis  important  that  the  barricades  be  built," 
he  growled  in  answer.  "  And  how  are  they  ever 
to  be  done  if  half  the  men  are  to  be  taken  away  on 
one  excuse  or  another?  Nay,  lass,  thy  father  shall 
do  his  stint  this  night." 

"  But  he  doesn't  work  here,"  I  explained.  "  He 
is  with  the  army.  He  is  a  physician." 

He  eyed  me  for  a  moment  trying  to  gauge  my 
words,  puzzled  I  doubt  not,  to  determine  whether  or 
not  I  spoke  the  truth. 

'*  What's  his  name  ?  "  he  demanded  finally. 

"  Dr.  Trotter,"  I  answered. 

"  Trotter,  did  you  say?  "  he  repeated  quickly. 
"Was  he  by  any  chance  in  Cambridge?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  exclaimed.  "  He  was  there  al- 
most from  the  beginning.  He  would  have  been 
there  sooner  had  it  not  been  for  mother  and  me." 

"And  what  might  he  look  like?"  was  the  next 
cautious  question. 

"  He  is  a  tall  man  wearing  his  own  dark  hair 
that  is  fast  turning  grey,"  I  returned,  and  was  re- 
lieved to  see  that  he  at  length  believed  me. 

"  Ah,  then,  'tis  my  doctor,"  he  replied,  his  gruff- 
ness  gone  on  the  instant.  "  Faith,  Miss,  he  bled  me 
for  a  fever  in  Cambridge  till  I  thought  I  should 
have  naught  left  in  my  veins  but  water.  Yet  he 


96  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

brought  me  through,  and  I  owe  him  much.  If  you 
are  Dr.  Trotter's  daughter,  go  your  way.  I'll  not 
hinder  you." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,"  I  said,  starting  forward. 

"  And  you'll  not  have  a  grudge  against  me, 
Missy?  "  he  called,  hesitatingly.  "  You'd  scarce  be- 
lieve the  excuses  these  lazy  civilians  give  for  getting 
out  of  their  work.  They  e'en  have  the  babies  sent 
out  to  fetch  them  home." 

"  You  need  not  fear  that  I  shall  bear  any  grudge," 
I  assured  him. 

"  And  please,  Miss,  put  it  fairly  to  your  father," 
he  went  on,  walking  a  step  or  two  at  my  side.  "  I'm 
like  as  not  to  need  him  again  before  this  business 
is  over  and  I  shouldn't  wish  him  to  think  hardly  of 
me  while  he's  mixing  a  draught.  There's  the  head- 
quarters, Miss,"  he  ended,  pointing  to  the  mansion 
at  the  corner  of  the  street;  "most  like  you'll  find 
him  there." 

I  thanked  the  soldier  again  and  hurried  on  to 
Mr.  Prime's,  which  was  alight  from  cellar  to  gar- 
ret, while  two  lanthorns  burned  brightly  before  the 
door.  Two  or  three  houses  above  was  Mr.  Burns's 
Coffee  House,  and  there,  too,  all  the  rooms  were 
illuminated,  so  that  with  the  huge  fires  in  the  square 
the  place  was  nigh  as  bright  as  day.  It  was  a 
curious  scene.  Men  ran  here  and  there,  struggling 
with  heavy  burdens;  carts  and  wagons  blocked  the 
streets;  and,  above  the  babble  of  noises  and  shouts, 
the  crackling  of  the  glowing  logs  sounded  not  un- 
like pistol  shots.  I  should  have  been  pleased  to 
watch,  had  the  occasion  been  other  than  it  was, 
but  now  I  hastened  straight  on  with  no  more  than 
a  passing  glance  about  me. 

The  door  of  the  headquarters  stood  wide  and 
two  sentries  blocked  the  way.  Young  officers  were 


At  Headquarters  97 

coming  in  or  going  out  on  the  run  and  it  was  a  mo- 
ment ere  I  could  gain  the  entrance  which  was  up 
a  step  or  two  from  the  street-walk.  Here,  as  I  ex- 
pected, I  was  halted  without  ceremony. 

"  I  seek  my  father,  Dr.  Trotter,"  I  explained, 
seeing  that  it  was  best  to  state  my  business  as  shortly 
and  fully  as  possible. 

"  Wait,"  said  one  of  the  guards,  with  a  nod  to 
his  companion  as  he  turned  into  the  house.  He  was 
gone  but  a  moment  and  returned  with  a  young  offi- 
cer who  approached  me  briskly. 

"  Oh,"  he  murmured  at  sight  of  me,  as  if  sur- 
prised. "  I  thought  it  was  a  servant.  Was  it  Dr. 
Trotter  you  wished  to  see?  " 

"  He  is  my  father,"  .1  answered.  "  Mother  is  ill 
and  I  must  find  him  at  once." 

"  Come  in,"  he  said  politely,  and  led  the  way  into 
a  large  room  to  the  right  of  the  entrance  hall  where 
a  full  score  of  young  officers  stood  about,  talking 
or  working  busily  at  desks. 

"Does  any  one  know  aught  of  Dr.  Trotter?" 
my  escort  called,  addressing  the  room  at  large. 

"  He  is  detailed  to  Governor's  Island,"  said  a 
man  at  one  of  the  desks,  without  lifting  his  head 
from  the  papers  before  him.  "  He  left  not  an  hour 
ago,''  he  went  on  in  the  same  matter-of-fact  tone. 
"  There's  a  report  of  fever  among  the  troops  there." 

"  And  when  will  he  return?  "  I  asked  with  a  sink- 
ing heart. 

"  Can't  say.  Soon  though.  To-morrow  or  the 
next  day,"  came  the  answer  from  the  desk. 

"Oh,  but  that  will  be  too  late !  "  I  cried  out,  for- 
getting everything  but  my  bitter  disappointment 
and  the  perplexity  of  my  position  now  that  I  could 
no  longer  give  the  matter  into  father's  hands. 

"  Is  your  mother  so  ill  as  that?  "  asked  the  young 


98  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

man  who  had  brought  me  into  the  room.  "  We 
surely  can  get  another  physician  for  you." 

"  'Tis  not  that  1  "  I  exclaimed,  scarce  knowing 
what  I  was  saying.  "  I  must  see  him  at  once  about 
something  of  the  utmost  importance." 

"Ah,  then  your  mother  is  not  ill?"  came  the 
quick,  suspicious  rejoinder. 

"Yes,  of  course  she  is;  but  —  but — "  I  halted 
out  of  countenance.  I  knew  not  how  best  to  reply 
and  it  seemed  as  if  the  room  had  suddenly  grown 
very  quiet  and  every  one  had  stopped  what  he  was 
doing  to  look  at  me.  Then  the  man  at  the  desk  rose 
suddenly  to  his  feet  and  strode  toward  me  with  a 
frown  upon  his  face. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   GUARD   AT   THE   DOOR 

MY  brother  Will  had  taught  me  to  distinguish 
the  different  ranks  in  the  army  by  certain 
marks  upon  the  uniforms  and  I  noted  that 
this  older  officer  who  had  just  left  his  desk  was  a 
Major,  and  no  doubt  in  command.     I  expected  that 
he  would  forthwith  take  the  matter  in  hand,  but  in- 
stead of  speaking  he  nodded  to  the  lieutenant  who 
had  brought  me  in,  evidently  wishing  him  to  ques- 
tion me  further  while  he  himself  stood  by  observ- 
ing my  demeanor. 

"  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  you  were  Dr.  Trot- 
ter's daughter?"  was  the  first  question.  The  lieu- 
tenant scarce  hid  the  suspicion  he  had  of  me,  nor 
could  I  altogether  blame  him.  My  hesitancy  and 
blundering  were  enough  to  arouse  doubts  of  my  sin- 
cerity. 

"  Yes,  I  am  Polly  Trotter,"  I  answered,  "  and  it 
is  quite  true  — ." 

"  It  was  to  take  him  to  your  sick  mother  you 
sought  him?  "  was  the  next  question. 

"  Not  exactly,"  I  began,  for  indeed  I  could  not 
say  with  truth  that  this  had  been  my  intention. 

"  Humm !  "  he  grunted.  "  Perchance  some  one 
here  can  identify  you?  " 

I  looked  at  the  faces  of  the  men  about  me,  though 
'twas  plain  I  knew  none  of  them,  for  had  it  been 
otherwise  I  should  have  been  relieved  of  my  dilemma 
long  before. 

99 


ioo  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  There  is  no  one  here  that  I  have  ever  met,"  I 
said,  shaking  my  head,  "  but  indeed  I  am  Polly  Trot- 
ter, and  —  " 

He  cut  me  off  again  sharply. 

"  You  had  better  return  when  Dr.  Trotter  has 
come  back  to  the  city,"  he  remarked  with  an  air  of 
finality,  and  moved  toward  the  door  expecting  me 
to  follow  him.  It  was  a  broad  hint  that  I  should  go 
upon  the  instant,  but  I  stirred  not.  Once  again  I 
looked  at  the  faces  of  the  men  about  me,  hoping  to 
find  one  whose  expression  showed  something  of  sym- 
pathy, but  I  searched  in  vain.  All  gazed  at  me  in- 
tently, some  a  little  puzzled,  others  openly  hostile, 
though  I  could  not  fathom  the  reason. 

"  To-morrow  it  will  be  too  late,"  I  insisted,  as 
earnestly  as  I  could.  I  felt  most  humiliated  that 
my  word  should  be  doubted  and  in  sore  straights 
to  know  what  to  do.  Then  I  had  an  inspiration. 

"  Mr.  Alexander  Hamilton  knows  me,"  I  cried 
hopefully,  and  none  but  those  who  had  made  up 
their  minds  against  me  could  have  doubted  my  sin- 
cerity. 

"  Unfortunately  you  have  the  knack  of  picking 
out  absentees,"  the  lieutenant  replied.  "  Captain 
Hamilton  has  been  detailed  —  " 

"  I  think  it  unwise  to  give  out  any  unnecessary  in- 
formation, Mr.  Roberts,"  came  the  cold  voice  of 
the  Major,  and  the  lieutenant,  with  a  nod  of  com- 
prehension, stepped  back  a  pace  while  the  older  of- 
ficer addressed  himself  to  me. 

"  It  seems  that  we  can  do  naught  for  you  to- 
night," he  went  on,  in  an  even  tone. 

"  Oh,  please,  sir,"  I  begged,  tears  of  vexation 
coming  into  my  eyes,  u  the  matter  is  most  important, 
and  unless  something  is  done  at  once  everybody  will 
be  sorry." 


The  Guard  at  the  Door  101 

"  Tell  me  what  it  is,"  the  Major  suggested.  I 
think  he  was,  for  the  moment  at  least,  somewhat 
impressed  by  my  distress.  But  I  had  convinced  my- 
self that  I  dared  rely  on  no  one  that  I  was  not  sure 
of. 

"  Nay,  if  father  isn't  here  I  can  tell  only  His 
Excellency !  "  I  declared.  "  Let  me  to  him  at  once." 

"You  mean  General  Washington?"  demanded 
the  Major,  his  tone  hardening. 

"  Ay,  no  other,"  1  answered,  putting  as  bold  a 
front  on  the  matter  as  I  could  muster.  "  'Twas  on 
his  account  that  I  came." 

"  But  you  said  it  was  because  of  your  sick 
mother!  "  Lieutenant  Roberts  broke  in. 

"  Well,  my  mother  is  ill,"  I  protested,  realizing 
that  by  not  being  wholly  frank  in  the  beginning,  I 
had  planted  the  seeds  for  this  suspicion.  "  You 
see,"  I  went  on,  trying  to  explain,  "  it  is  not  only  my 
mother  who  is  concerned,  but  Mr.  Washington  as 
well.  Indeed  what  I  tell  you  is  true  and  if  you 
heed  me  not,  you  will  be  sorry." 

At  that  there  was  a  murmur  of  whispering  among 
the  officers  as  if  they  were  in  two  minds  whether  to 
believe  me  or  no  and,  for  a  moment,  the  major 
looked  down  at  me  in  silence,  trying,  doubtless  to 
read  my  thoughts. 

"  Will  you  please  take  me  to  His  Excellency  at 
once?"  I  demanded,  thinking  it  well  to  press  any 
advantage  I  might  have  gained. 

"  'Tis  out  of  the  question,"  said  the  Major  posi- 
tively. 

"  But  I  tell  you  I  must  see  him,"  I  insisted,  net- 
tled at  his  stubbornness.  "  'Tis  a  matter  of  life  and 
death!" 

At  this  they  all  seemed  somewhat  taken  a-back  and 
eyed  me  curiously. 


102  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"Where  is  His  Excellency?"  the  Major  asked, 
turning  to  the  lieutenant. 

"  He  is  at  Mr.  Burns's  Coffee  Room  taking  some 
refreshment,"  was  the  answer,  "  he  has  been  out 
inspecting  the  works." 

"  Then  I  shall  seek  him  there !  "  I  burst  out  des- 
perately. There  was  a  hurried  movement  through- 
out the  room,  and  the  next  instant  a  dozen  officers 
blocked  my  way  to  the  door. 

"  Nay,  you'll  stay  here  for  the  present,"  said  the 
Major  grimly,  and  I  began  to  see  dimly  that  some- 
thing I  had  not  the  key  to  lay  beneath  all  their  ac- 
tions. 

"Oh,  what  shall  I  do?"  I  exclaimed  in  despair. 

"  Plague  me,  but  I  think  the  wench  is  telling  the 
truth,"  murmured  a  very  young  man  near  me,  and 
I  could  have  thanked  him  then  and  there;  but  the 
others  noticed  him  not  and  at  the  same  moment  an 
officer  spoke  to  the  Major. 

"  I  can  settle  this  matter  in  a  jiffy,  sir,"  he  said, 
and  then,  addressing  me,  "  you  are  really  Mistress 
Trotter?" 

'  That  I  am,"  I  answered. 

"  And  are  there  others  of  your  family  in  the  army 
beside  your  father?  " 

"  Yes,  my  brother  Will  is  a  lieutenant,"  I  re- 
plied eagerly,  seeing  the  drift  of  his  questioning. 

"  Then  all  we  need  do  is  to  send  for  Lieutenant 
Trotter,  Major  Henry,"  ended  the  young  man,  and 
for  an  instant  I  thought  that  here  lay  the  way  out 
of  all  my  difficulties.  Then  came  the  realization 
that  if  they  went  looking  for  Will  and  found  him 
not,  he  would  assuredly  get  into  serious  trouble. 
Captain  Hale's  expedition  would  be  discovered  and 
disgrace  would  be  in  store  for  all  of  them. 

"No!     No!     Don't  do  that!  "  I  cried  out,  see- 


The  Guard  at  the  Door  103 

ing  too  late,  that  once  more  I  had  discredited  my- 
self in  their  eyes. 

"  Trapped,  my  girl!  "  exclaimed  the  Major.  "  I 
know  not  what  you  are  up  to  but  perhaps  you'll  tell 
us  who  sent  you  after  you've  spent  a  day  or  so  in 
the  guard-house.  Or  do  you  prefer  to  make  a  clean 
breast  of  it  now?  " 

"  Nay,  I  must  and  shall  see  General  Washington 
at  once !  "  I  cried,  for  I  was  by  now  fair  desperate. 
.  "  If  you  turn  around  you  will  see  him,"  came  a 
voice  behind  me,  and  of  a  sudden,  as  if  taken  by  sur- 
prise, the  officers  about  me  stiffened  to  attention  and 
their  hands  came  to  the  salute. 

I  faced  about  and  met  General  Washington's  eyes 
looking  down  at  me  with  a  stern  expression,  albeit 
there  was  a  kindly  gleam  in  them.  He  seemed  tired, 
and  there  was  something  of  sadness  and  anxiety  in 
his  whole  bearing,  though  he  held  himself  as  straight 
as  any  of  the  younger  men  in  the  room. 

"Oh,  Your  Excellency  I"  I  nigh  shouted  in  my 
joy.  "  I'm  so  glad  you've  come.  Nobody  seems 
to  understand  and  I  can't  explain  except  to  you." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  what  you  have  to  say," 
he  replied  formally,  and  stopped  waiting  for  me 
to  speak;  but  this  I  could  in  no  wise  do.  The  man 
Hickey  might  be  there  among  the  many  who  pressed 
about  us  and  I  dared  not  make  my  accusation  before 
them  all. 

"Please,  Your  Excellency,"  I  began  again,  mak- 
ing the  curtsey  I  had  forgotten,  in  my  joy  at  seeing 
him,  "  'Tis  so  secret  a  matter  that  I  must  see  you 
alone." 

"  'Tis  out  of  the  question !  "  the  Major  interposed 
almost  violently.  "  The  girl  tells  a  queer  tale,  Your 
Excellency,  and  I  do  not  trust  her.  She  came  first 
seeking  Dr.  Trotter,  vowing  that  her  mother  is  ill. 


104  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Finding  that  he  is  not  here  she  demanded  to  be  taken 
to  you,  saying,  of  a  sudden,  that  'tis  on  your  ac- 
count she  ventured  here.  She  insists  she  is  the  doc- 
tor's daughter,  but  when  we  offered  to  fetch  Lieu- 
tenant Trotter  to  identify  her,  she  protested  against 
it  violently.  I  beg  Your  Excellency  not  to  see  her 
alone,  for  it  is  evident  she  is  not  at  all  what  she 
would  appear." 

"  Nay,  Your  Excellency,  she  is  exactly  what  she 
says,"  exclaimed  another  voice  from  behind  Mr. 
Washington,  and  Captain  Hull  pressed  forward 
from  the  crowd  of  officers  at  the  General's  back. 
"  I  can  vouch  that  the  maid  is  Mistress  Polly  Trot- 
ter, daughter  of  our  Dr.  Trotter." 

At  that  moment  I  could  have  dropped  on  my 
knees  to  Captain  Hull  in  thankfulness  for  his  words, 
—  and  the  next  I  could  have  beaten  him ;  for,  hav- 
ing straightened  the  matter  out,  he  immediately  at- 
tempted to  make  things  worse. 

"  But  may  I  beg,  Your  Excellency,  to  let  me  take 
her  home?  "  he  went  on.  "  She  can  have  naught  of 
value  to  tell  you,  and  I  think  the  maid  must  be  some- 
what overwrought  to  be  here  at  all." 

"  I  am  not  overwrought!  "  I  burst  out,  and  the 
very  tone  and  manner  of  my  saying  it  confirmed 
his  words.  The  truth  is  I  was  nigh  crazed  at  the 
unexpected  twists  and  turns  the  business  took.  One 
minute  I  seemed  to  be  out  of  my  difficulties  and  the 
next  a  new  perplexity  arose  to  plague  me. 

"  You  see  ? "  remarked  Captain  Hull,  to  Mr. 
Washington,  who  stood  silent  with  an  impassive 
look  upon  his  face.  "  It  may  be  that  her  mother 
is  ill,  though  to  be  sure  when  I  left  their  home  a 
scant  hour  ago,  Madam  Trotter  seemed  to  be  in 
the  best  of  health.  Doubtless  Mistress  Polly's 
imagination  has  exaggerated  some  slight  indisposi- 


If  you  but  turn  around  you  will  see  him." 


The  Guard  at  the  Door  105 

tion  of  her  mother's,  for  I  have  been  given  to  un- 
derstand she  is  a  nervous  child.  I  am  sure  it  would 
be  doing  Madam  Trotter  a  kindness  if  I  took  her 
home  without  loss  of  time.  They  are  probably 
scouring  the  city  in  search  of  her." 

How  he  dared  to  say  such  things  of  me  I  know 
not,  but  to  hint  as  he  did,  broadly,  that  I  was  not 
responsible  for  my  actions  so  angered  me  that  I  for- 
got everything  but  the  mission  that  had  brought  me 
there. 

"  Your  Excellency,"  I  broke  in,  and  I  think  my 
eyes  must  have  been  blazing  as  I  spoke,  "  Captain 
Hull  is  pleased  to  jest  upon  a  matter  in  which  I  can 
find  no  hint  of  humour.  I  am  neither  a  child  nor 
am  I  nervous,  Your  Excellency,  though  I  grant  you 
that  the  news  I  carry  might  well  upset  an  older  per- 
son than  I.  But  what  I  have  to  tell  is  of  the  ut- 
most importance  to  Your  Excellency,  and  to  the  coun- 
try as  well,  and  I  beg  you  will  not  deny  what  I  ask 
but  will  let  me  see  you  for  five  minutes  alone.  In 
that  time  Your  Excellency  can  judge  whether  or  not 
I  am  a  nervous  child." 

A  titter  went  around  the  room  at  my  outburst, 
and  Captain  Hull  flushed  a  little,  but  General  Wash- 
ington regarded  me  gravely  for  a  moment  as  if 
judging  the  matter.  Then  with  a  nod  of  decision 
he  spoke  to  me. 

"  I  will  see  you  for  five  minutes,  Mistress  Trot- 
ter," he  remarked  calmly. 

"  Nay,  I  protest,  Your  Excellency,"  Captain  Hull 
began,  but  Mr.  Washington  turned  on  him  sharply. 

"  The  question  is  decided,  sir,"  he  said,  and  his 
tone  left  no  room  for  argument.  Captain  Hull 
stepped  back  and  saluted;  but,  as  I  passed  him  fol- 
lowing the  General,  he  leaned  toward  me. 

"  You   will   bring   disgrace   upon   them    an   you 


106  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

tell,"  he  whispered  in  my  ear,  and  then  I  saw  what 
was  in  his  mind.  He  thought  I  was  there  to  speak 
of  Captain  Hale's  expedition  against  the  British 
sloop  and  had  tried  his  best  to  stop  me.  Though 
he  had  been  against  the  plan  himself  he  had  done 
all  that  lay  in  his  power  to  protect  his  friend,  and, 
in  the  light  of  this  discovery,  I  could  not  find  it  in 
my  heart  to  blame  him  for  the  way  he  had  treated 
me.  Nevertheless  I  think  he  might  have  trusted 
to  my  discretion. 

I  followed  General  Washington  into  a  room  upon 
the  opposite  side  of  the  hall  which  was  fitted  out 
somewhat  as  an  office.  He  went  directly  to  a  desk 
in  the  corner  and,  motioning  me  to  take  a  chair  at 
one  side,  waited  until  I  had  seated  myself  before  he 
dropped  wearily  into  the  other.  As  I  sat  down  a 
slight  noise  attracted  me  and,  turning  to  look  in 
the  direction  whence  it  came,  I  saw  a  tall  private 
soldier  standing  guard  inside  the  door.  I  had  not 
noted  him  as  I  came  in,  he  being  close  to  the  wall, 
and  I  scarce  thought  of  him  now,  having  something 
of  a  feeling  that,  so  far  as  my  business  went,  he 
was  of  little  more  concern  than  a  piece  of  the  furni- 
ture which  his  stiff,  impersonal  attitude  suggested. 

"  You  will  close  the  door,  Hickey,"  said  General 
Washington  addressing  the  private,  and  my  heart 
gave  a  great  bound  as  I  heard  the  name.  There 
was  the  man  who  had  undertaken  to  carry  out  the 
plot  against  the  General's  life.  I  gaped  at  him  as 
he  softly  shut  the  door,  and  I  think  the  blood  must 
have  dropped  out  of  my  face,  for  as  I  turned  to  His 
Excellency  he  seemed  to  notice  something  amiss  and 
regarded  me  with  concern. 

"  Are  you  not  well?  "  he  asked  in  a  kindly  tone. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I'm  quite  well,  Your  Excellency,"  I 
faltered,  "  but  you  said  we  should  be  alone." 


The  Guard  at  the  Door  107 

"  And  think  you  one  of  my  body-guards  will 
crowd  the  room?  "  he  remarked  with  a  smile. 

"  We  must  be  quite  alone,"  I  insisted,  and  seeing 
that  I  was  vastly  in  earnest,  he  let  me  have  my  way. 

"  You  will  wait  outside,  Hickey,"  he  commanded, 
and  the  private,  with  a  salute,  went  out,  latching  the 
door  behind  him. 


CHAPTER  XV 

A   PLEA  AND  A    PROMISE 

THE  moment  the  door  shut  I  was  on  my  feet. 
"  'Tis  the  very  man,"  I  whispered,  lean- 
ing across  the  desk  toward  His  Excellency. 

"  The  very  man,"  he  repeated.     "  What  man?  " 

"  The  one  who  is  to  kill  you  to-night,"  I  explained 
hurriedly.  "  'Tis  of  that  I  came  to  warn  you." 

I  had  not,  of  course,  expected  that  Mr.  Washing- 
ton would  grow  hysterical  and  cry  "  Save  me !  "  like 
a  weak  woman,  but  I  had  thought  to  see  him  show 
some  sign  of  perturbation  at  my  disclosure,  and  I 
confess  I  was  disappointed  at  the  calm  way  in  which 
he  received  it.  He  looked  at  me  closely  for  a 
moment  and  then  smiled  a  little  wearily. 

"  You  must  forgive  me,"  he  said,  gently,  "  if  I 
seem  not  to  take  your  information  with  that  degree 
of  seriousness  which,  doubtless,  you  attach  to  it. 
But  there  is  scarce  an  hour  in  the  day  that  some  one 
does  not  warn  me  that  my  life  is  threatened.  Did 
I  heed  all  these  rumours  I  should  perforce  be  com- 
pelled to  live  in  a  vault  and  would  have  time  for 
naught  but  to  guard  my  own  existence.  None  the 
less  I  thank  you  for  your  interest." 

I  fair  gasped,  for  he  seemed  as  indifferent  to  my 
news  as  though  I  had  mentioned  that  it  was  a  pleas- 
ant evening. 

"  But  Your  Excellency,  this  is  no  rumour,"  I  in- 
sisted. "  The  man  Hickey  was  specified.  He  has 

108 


A  Plea  and  a  Promise  109 

been  bribed  with  a  hundred  pounds  and  a  passage 
to  Ireland.  I  was  to  bear  the  message." 

"  You  were  to  bear  the  message,"  he  repeated,  not 
at  all  understanding.  "  To  whom?  " 

"  To  His  Lordship,"  I  replied.  "  I  know  not 
who  he  is,  though  I  was  supposed  to  know,  but  'tis 
a  plot  against  your  life.  That  I  am  sure." 

"  Tell  me  the  tale,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  said 
after  a  moment's  thought.  "  'Tis  plain,  at  all 
events  that  you  believe  in  it  and  having  named  names 
'tis  but  right  and  just  that  we  go  to  the  root  of  this 
affair.  Yet  I  warn  you  that  I  will  need  good  proof 
to  believe  Hickey  a  traitor." 

My  story  was  soon  out.  I  held  back  nothing  that 
concerned  the  plot,  but  I  was  at  pains  not  to  men- 
tion a  word  of  Captain  Hale's  expedition.  Mr. 
Washington  heard  me  to  the  end,  only  interrupting 
once  or  twice  with  questions  that  showed  he  followed 
closely,  and  when  I  had  finished  he  nodded  his  head 
rather  sadly. 

"  'Tis  no  good  news  you  bring,  Mistress  Trot- 
ter," he  remarked  gloomily.  "  'Tis  ever  a  pain- 
ful thing  to  suspect  one  whom  you  have  trusted. 
Excuse  me  a  moment,  please,  until  I  look  further 
into  the  case  with  the  officer  who  has  such  matters 
in- charge." 

He  rose  and  bowed  most  graciously  as  he  left  the 
room,  assuring  me  he  would  not  be  long,  and  in- 
deed very  shortly  he  was  back  again. 

"  We  have  taken  the  necessary  precautions,  Mis- 
tress Trotter,"  he  began  at  once,  reseating  himself 
at  the  desk,  "  and  I  am  compelled  to  admit  that 
other  evidence  in  Major  Henry's  possession  con- 
firms your  story.  They  were  already  on  the  track, 
and  lacked  only  the  name  of  the  man  who  was  to 
do  the  work." 


tio  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

He  stopped  and  gazed  down  at  the  floor,  his  face 
dropping  into  sad  and  thoughtful  lines.  Indeed  for 
the  moment  he  seemed  to  forget  my  presence.  Pres- 
ently he  roused  himself  and  turned  to  me. 

"  Forgive  me,  if  I  seem  not  to  appreciate  your 
good  service,"  he  went  on.  "  I  do  appreciate  it 
more  than  I  can  well  express.  It  is  no  slight  thing 
that  you  have  done,  and  your  courage  matched  your 
discretion;  but  if  you  find  a  hint  of  regret  in  my 
demeanour  you  will  understand,  I  am  sure,  the  cause 
of  it.  Not  only  have  I  trusted  my  life  to  Hickey, 
but  I  thought  so  well  of  him  that  I  would  have 
trusted  him  with  my  honour  had  the  occasion  re- 
quired." 

"  I  understand,  perfectly,  Your  Excellency,"  I 
assured  him,  "  and  as  for  what  I  did,  'twas  no  more 
than  my  duty."  I  moved  in  my  chair  ready  to  take 
leave  of  him,  with  a  great  weight  lifted  from  my 
heart  now  that  my  errand  had  been  accomplished. 

"  Nevertheless  I  am  much  in  your  debt,  Mistress 
Trotter,"  he  said,  with  a  gesture  indicating  that  he 
would  prolong  the  interview,  "  and  if  I  can  be  of 
any  service  to  you  or  yours,  pray  command  me.  Yet 
there  are  one  or  two  points  about  your  story  that  I 
do  not  quite  comprehend.  How  came  it,  may  I 
ask,  that  you  were  in  such  a  place  at  the  hour  when 
you  met  this  spy?  I  understood  that  your  mother 
was  ill  and  that  you  came  to  my  headquarters  seek- 
ing your  father.  It  seems  that  your  journey  here 
was  something  indirect." 

It  may  perhaps  be  thought  that  I  could  have 
avoided  answering  this  question  and  so  have  kept 
the  matter  of  Mr.  Hale's  adventure  to  myself.  I 
am  quite  sure  that  if  I  had  told  General  Washing- 
ton I  had  rather  not  speak  further  of  my  reasons  for 
being  abroad  that  night  he  would  not  have  pressed 


A  Plea  and  a  Promise  in 

me  for  an  answer;  but  he  was  not  a  man  to  whom 
one  could  tell  less  than  the  whole  truth  and  more- 
over he  inspired  confidence.  I  could  not  go  away 
leaving  any  thought  in  his  mind  of  mystery  so  far 
as  my  actions  were  concerned.  I  wanted  to  tell 
him  then  and  there  all  of  the  story;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  was  not  wholly  my  affair  and  I  deemed  it 
not  right  to  divulge  what  I  knew  without  consider- 
ing those  who  would  be  most  affected. 

"  Can  Your  Excellency  keep  a  secret?  "  I  asked, 
on  a  sudden,  and  then  blushed  at  the  impertinence  of 
my  demand. 

His  eyes  twinkled,  but  his  face  showed  no  smile 
as  he  looked  at  me  for  a  moment  ere  he  spoke. 

"  I  have  been  trusted  with  one  or  two  weighty 
ones  in  my  time,"  he  remarked  gravely. 

"  But  will  you  keep  mine?  "  I  insisted,  though  to 
be  sure  I  should  have  had  my  ears  boxed. 

At  that  he  burst  out  into  a  hearty  laugh. 

"  Faith,  child !  "  he  cried,  "  though  I  am  as  tired 
as  a  dog  'tis  worth  an  hour's  sleep  to  talk  to  you. 
On  with  your  tale !  I'll  keep  the  secret." 

"  'Tis  not  a  matter  that  concerns  only  myself, 
Your  Excellency,"  I  tried  to  explain.  "  Had  that 
been  the  case  I  should  not  have  thought  to  pledge 
you,  but  there  are  others  who  trust  me,  and — " 

"  I  understand,"  he  interrupted,  "  and  you  are 
quite  right ;  but  let  me  have  the  secret.  Who  knows 
but  I  may  be  able  to  help." 

"  You  could  indeed,  an  you  would,"  I  hastened 
to  say,  and  forthwith  told  him  exactly  what  had  hap- 
pened since  my  chance  suggestion  had  started  Cap- 
tain Hale  a-thinking. 

"  And,"  I  ended,  "  they  may  be  boarding  the  sloop 
at  this  minute." 

I  had  not  speculated  upon  how  Mr.  Washington 


112  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

would  receive  this  news,  but  had  I  done  so  I  could 
not  have  been  more  surprised  and  startled. 

"When  will  these  young  fools  learn  wisdom?" 
he  cried  angrily,  and  his  hand  came  down  on  the 
desk  with  a  thump  that  made  me  jump.  "  They 
seem  to  imagine  that  the  whole  art  of  war  consists 
in  risking  their  lives  in  hopeless  enterprises." 

"  Nay,  they  thought  to  get  supplies  for  the  sol- 
diers," I  pleaded,  in  defence  of  my  friends. 

"  And  where  shall  I  get  officers  to  fill  their  places 
an  they  are  taken?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  did  not  think  of  that,"  I  answered  guiltily,  as 
if  indeed  I  was  responsible. 

"  Nor  did  they!  "  he  fumed,  rising  and  beginning 
to  pace  the  floor  in  great  agitation,  while  I  nigh 
trembled  in  my  chair. 

Presently  he  stopped  before  me. 

"  You  did  well  to  exact  a  promise,  Mistress  Trot- 
ter," he  said.  "  Otherwise  I  should  have  made  an 
example  of  those  young  men.  I  will  not  hide  from 
you  the  fact  that  the  undertaking  is  a  most  hare- 
brained affair.  Had  Captain  Hale  seen  fit  to  bring 
the  matter  to  my  attention  ere  he  adventured  it,  I 
should  by  no  means  have  countenanced  it.  He  was 
quite  right  in  believing  that  his  superior  officers 
would  have  denied  him  leave  to  go." 

"Then  you  are  certain  they  will  be  taken?"  I 
burst  out,  much  upset,  for  I  had  felt  sure  they  would 
succeed  now  that  they  had  naught  to  fear  from  the 
spy. 

"  Nay,  there's  no  reason  to  expect  the  worst,"  he 
answered  in  a  more  kindly  tone.  "  The  very  bold- 
ness of  the  plan  gives  some  promise  of  its  success. 
Nor  would  I  have  you  suppose  I  am  one  to  scorn 
brave  deeds.  Let  us  hope  for  the  best,  and  if  the 


A  Plea  and  a  Promise  113 

sloop  is  landed  it  will  be  a  great  feather  in  the  cap 
of  those  who  carried  the  enterprise  through." 

"  And  if  they  bring  not  in  the  sloop  then  they 
will  be  scolded,"  I  sighed,  thinking  of  what  might  be 
in  store  for  Will,  if  indeed  he  were  lucky  enough  to 
escape  capture. 

General  Washington  smiled  broadly. 

"  'Tis  hard  to  keep  one's  countenance  with  you, 
Mistress  Trotter,"  he  laughed.  "  Had  I  not  given 
you  my  promise  I'll  venture  to  say  those  young  men 
would  not  have  put  so  mild  a  word  to  what  I  should 
have  held  in  store  for  them  an  they  come  back. 
But  I  owe  you  more  than  a  little  and  you  may  rest 
assured  that  under  no  circumstances  will  there  be 
any  reprimand  for  Captain  Hale  and  his  compan- 
ions." 

I  thanked  him  heartily  and  rose  to  say  good-bye. 

"  I  hope  your  mother  will  have  recovered  ere 
your  return,"  His  Excellency  remarked,  politely 
stepping  with  me  toward  the  door.  "  Please  give 
her  my  compliments  upon  having  so  patriotic  a 
daughter." 

"  I  am  only  sorry  I  was  not  a  boy  so  that  I  could 
do  more  for  my  country,"  I  answered,  and  indeed  it 
was  a  sincere  regret. 

"  You  have  done  much  already,"  he  replied. 
"  To  you  I  owe  my  life,  and  though  for  myself  'tis 
not  so  great  a  thing,  I  may  say,  in  all  modesty,  that 
should  I  lose  it  at  this  time  our  cause  might  be 
hurt  thereby.  For  that  you  have  my  profound 
thanks  and  duty." 

In  the  hall  we  found  most  of  the  officers  drawn 
up  at  attention  as  if  to  receive  us.  Evidently  the 
news  of  my  errand  had  been  whispered  among  them 
for  they  eyed  me  less  coldly  now.  Of  Hickey  I  saw 


114  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

no  sign  and  surmised  that  he  had  been  put  under 
guard. 

I  would  have  passed  the  row  of  stiff-standing  of- 
ficers, but  the  Major  stepped  forward  and  barred 
my  way. 

"  I  shall  only  detain  you  for  a  moment,  Mistress 
Trotter,"  he  said  politely.  "  I  and  my  brother  offi- 
cers wish  to  offer  you  our  humble  apologies  for  your 
reception  this  evening." 

"  'Tis  naught  now,"  I  made  answer,  a  little  em- 
barrassed at  all  this  ceremony. 

"  We  hope  you  will  forgive  us,"  he  went  on. 
"  We  are  very  sorry  that  there  should  have  been 
any  misunderstanding,  and  profoundly  grateful  to 
you.  Our  excuse  is  that  we  knew  already  of  a  plot 
and  had  reason  to  suspect  any  one  who  wished  to 
approach  His  Excellency.  If  you  will  deign  to 
visit  headquarters  again  I  can  assure  you  of  so 
hearty  a  welcome  as  will  leave  no  doubt  of  our  sin- 
cerity." 

It  was  very  handsomely  done  and  I  thanked  him 
as  well  as  I  was  able,  at  which  the  gentlemen  broke 
ranks  and  pressed  about  me,  each  having  some- 
thing nice  to  say  and  all  vowing  they  were  ready  to 
do  my  slightest  bidding. 

I  was  much  put  to  it  to  keep  in  countenance,  for  I 
was  not  used  to  such  flattering  attentions,  but  I  en- 
joyed it  hugely  nevertheless. 

They  all  went  with  me  to  the  door  but  halted  at 
the  entrance,  looking  out  into  the  night. 

"  Sure  you  cannot  go  alone !  "  exclaimed  His  Ex- 
cellency, showing  considerable  concern,  and  at  that 
a  dozen  officers  volunteered  their  services.  But 
Mr.  Washington  had  other  plans  and  called  for  Cap- 
tain Hull. 

"  He  went  immediately  to  his  room  after  you  left 


A  Plea  and  a  Promise  115 

with  Mistress  Trotter,"  Major  Henry  informed  us. 

"  Fetch  him  at  once,  please,"  the  General  or- 
dered. "  I  have  a  special  mission  for  him."  And 
we  waited  a  few  moments,  chatting  pleasantly  the 
while,  until  Mr.  Hull  put  in  an  appearance. 

"  Ah,  Captain  Hull,"  said  Mr.  Washington, 
"  you  will  oblige  me,  sir,  by  escorting  this  — "  He 
hesitated  a  moment  with  a  faint  smile  upon  his 
lips,  " —  this  overwrought  child  to  her  home,"  he 
ended. 

Captain  Hull  saluted,  but  I  think  he  did  not  like 
the  titter  that  went  up  among  the  officers,  and  it 
was  plain  that  he  had  heard  naught  of  what  had 
transpired  during  his  absence,  for  he  would  not,  I 
am  sure,  have  looked  so  ill  at  ease  had  he  known 
the  real  state  of  affairs.  Nevertheless  he  stepped  to 
my  side,  ready  to  carry  out  his  orders. 

His  Excellency  held  out  his  hand  to  me,  thank- 
ing me  once  more  as  he  bade  me  good-night  and  his 
officers,  in  a  line  behind  him,  bowed  as  I  curtsied 
to  them  all.  A  moment  later  I  had  taken  my  leave 
and  was  upon  the  street,  with  Captain  Hull  walking 
severely  by  my  side. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A   VOICE   IN   THE    FOG 

WE  passed  up  the  Broad  Way  in  silence,  Cap- 
tain Hull  pacing  stiffly  beside  me,  and  we 
were  close  to  the  Trinity  Church  ere  I  ven- 
tured to  speak. 

"  Have  you  any  news  of  Captain  Hale?  "  I  asked 
timidly. 

"  Nay,"  he  answered,  and  I  heard  his  teeth  click 
as  he  closed  his  mouth  tightly. 

"  And  do  you  know  where  they  will  bring  in  the 
sloop,  if  they  capture  her?  "  I  persisted. 

"  Ay,"  he  replied,  as  before. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  the  place?  " 

"No!" 

'Twas  so  plain  what  was  in  his  mind  that  I  could 
in  no  wise  be  offended  at  his  manner,  and  laughed 
a  little  to  think  of  his  chagrin  when  he  should  learn 
the  truth. 

"  Captain  Hull,"  I  said,  demurely,  "  think  you  I 
would  run  back  to  inform  His  Excellency  if  you  told 
me  where  they  will  land?  " 

"  Did  you  not  inform  His  Excellency  of  the  expe- 
dition? "  he  demanded. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  He  wished  to  know  what 
I  did  abroad  at  such  an  hour  and  I  was  obliged  to 
explain." 

"  Then,"  replied  the  Captain  grimly,  "  fearing 
that  you  may  be  obliged  to  explain  a  second  time  I 

116 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  117 

shall  do  my  best  to  keep  you  in  ignorance  of  any 
further  plans." 

"  But  His  Excellency  promised  to  keep  it  a  se- 
cret," I  remarked  calmly. 

"  What?  "  he  exclaimed  in  astonishment.  "  You 
had  the  temerity  to  exact  a  promise  from  General 
Washington?  " 

"  Ay,"  I  went  on,  "  and  further  he  vowed  to  see 
to  it  that,  whatever  the  outcome,  Mr.  Hale  and  his 
companions  should  not  be  blamed." 

"  I  n'er  heard  of  such  a  thing,"  said  the  amazed 
Captain.  "  I  had  thought  to  find  him  much  angered 
when  he  learned  of  it." 

"  He  was  somewhat  put  about  — "  remembering 
the  violent  slam  the  General  had  given  the  desk  when 
he  first  heard  the  news,  "  but  you  see  he  owed  me 
something  for  saving  his  life." 

"  Saving  his  life !  "  repeated  the  Captain,  and  I 
caught  the  look  of  amazement  on  his  face  as  we 
passed  a  street  lamp. 

"  Nay,  I'm  not  overwrought  nor  nervous,"  I 
laughed,  unable  to  resist  the  temptation  to  tease  a 
little.  "  Tis  all  true  as  I  have  told  you." 

"  But  I  cannot  understand  what  took  you  to  head- 
quarters at  all  — "  he  burst  out.  "  And  what  is  this 
talk  of  saving  the  General's  life?  " 

Then  I  told  him  the  whole  story  from  the  time 
he  and  the  others  had  left  the  house.  He  broke  in 
now  and  then  with  a  muttered  exclamation  at  his  own 
stupidity  or  a  word  of  compliment  for  me. 

"  Forgive  me,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  begged,  as 
I  ended.  "  You  are  a  trump  and  I  am  a  dolt;  but 
to  tell  the  truth  this  business  of  Hale's  is  so  much 
on  my  mind  that  I  could  think  of  naught  else.  I 
was  sure  they  would  get  into  trouble  at  head- 
quarters." 


n8  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  And  so  I'm  sure  they  would  have,"  I  agreed. 
"  General  Washington  was  furious  and  had  he  not 
promised  me  to  keep  the  secret  he  would  have  made 
an  example  of  them.  Indeed  he  said  as  much." 

"  Then  you  have  done  them  a  vastly  good  turn!  " 
cried  the  Captain  with  enthusiasm.  "  His  Excel- 
lency is  not  one  to  let  discipline  grow  lax,  but,  hav- 
ing given  his  word,  he  will  see  to  it  that  there  is  no 
reprimand,  no  matter  how  the  affair  ends.  You  will 
forgive  me  for  being  such  a  dullard,  won't  you?  " 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  I  answered  him,  "  to  be  sure 
I  was  angered  at  first  when  you  wanted  them  all 
to  believe  that  I  was  a  slow-witted  child,  but  when 
you  whispered  to  me  I  understood.  I  have  a  con- 
fession to  make,  too,  for  I  thought  that  when  Mr. 
Hale  would  go  in  spite  of  your  warning,  you  had 
washed  your  hands  of  the  whole  affair  and  left  them 
to  take  what  was  in  store  for  them.  So  you  see  it  is 
my  turn  to  ask  forgiveness." 

"  We'll  cry  quits,"  he  answered  heartily,  "  though 
to  be  sure  I  get  the  better  of  the  bargain,  having  the 
less  to  forgive." 

"  Then  please  tell  me  all  you  can  of  my  brother 
and  Mr.  Hale,"  I  begged,  for  beneath  the  excite- 
ment of  the  evening  I  had  never  ceased  to  be  con- 
scious of  my  anxiety  on  their  account. 

"  Indeed  I  will,  Miss  Polly,"  he  answered  read- 
ily, "  though  there  is  little  you  do  not  already  know. 
I  parted  with  them  shortly  after  we  left  your  home, 
for  under  any  circumstances  I  could  not  go  with 
them." 

"  Yes,  I  remember,"  I  put  in.  "  You  were  on 
duty.". 

"  Exactly,"  he  went  on.  "  Hale  and  your  brother 
turned  off  toward  the  North  River,  where  they  went 
to  seek  a  boat  fit  for  their  purpose," 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  119 

u  Ay,  and  they  found  one,  for  the  spy  saw  them 
at  it,"  I  interrupted. 

"  Then  we  know  of  their  movements  that  far," 
Mr.  Hull  continued.  "  From  there  they  were  go- 
ing to  the  quarters  of  Captain  Hale's  regiment  to  se- 
lect the  men  they  wanted  to  help  them.  They 
planned  to  leave  an  hour  after  midnight,  counting 
upon  returning  about  daylight." 

"  And  where  do  they  mean  to  land?  "  I  asked,  ex- 
citedly. 

"  At  Coenties  Slip,"  he  answered.  "  We  have  a 
full  battery  planted  there,  and  once  under  its  guns 
they  will  be  as  safe  as  if  they  were  in  their  own 
beds." 

"  Oh,  I  wish  I  could  be  there  when  they  come  in," 
I  sighed. 

"  It  will  be  weary  waiting,  Miss  Polly,"  he  an- 
swered, with  a  note  of  deep  concern  in  his  voice. 
"  'Tis  a  desperate  business  at  best.  There's  no  dis- 
guising that,  and  I  would  I  were  playing  an  active 
part  in  it,  rather  than  standing  idly  by  the  shore 
trying  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  that  sloop  in  the  grey 
dawn." 

"Then  you'll  be  there  to  watch  for  them?"  I 
asked,  coming  to  a  halt,  for  we  had  reached  the 
house. 

"  You  may  be  sure  of  that,  Miss  Polly,"  he  re- 
plied. "  I  could  scarce  sleep  knowing  that  my  dear- 
est friend  is  in  such  danger." 

"  I  wish  I  could  be  there,  too,"  I  said  again,  wist- 
fully, "  but  'tis  out  of  the  question,  I  fear." 

"  I  shall  try  to  send  you  word  as  early  as  pos- 
sible," he  volunteered,  "  but  it  may  not  be  easy  to 
find  a  messenger,  and  a  soldier's  time  is  never  his 
own." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  thoughtfulness,"  I  said,  as 


120  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

earnestly  as  I  could,  "  but  my  brother  will  make  the 
most  welcome  messenger  for  mother  and  me.  Send 
him  if  you  can." 

"  I  shall  try,"  he  answered,  "  but  remember  that 
he,  too,  has  duties  that  may  keep  him  away." 

"  Thank  you  again  —  and  for  bringing  me  home," 
I  repeated,  giving  him  my  hand. 

He  was  most  mannerly,  vowing  he  was  glad  to 
have  been  of  service  when,  after  seeing  me  safe 
within  the  door,  he  saluted  and  strode  off  in  the 
darkness. 

It  may  seem  that,  in  the  excitement  of  my  adven- 
tures, I  had  been  unmindful  of  mother,  but  indeed 
she  was  in  my  thoughts  always  and  I  had  not  loitered 
a  step  on  my  return  to  her.  Once  inside  the  house 
I  ran  to  the  surgery,  where  a  light  still  burned,  and 
there  I  found  her  with  her  Bible  in  her  hand. 

"  Are  you  better,  mother?  "  I  asked,  kissing  her. 

"  I  am  wholly  recovered,"  she  answered. 
"  'Twas  but  a  passing  faintness.  Tell  me  your  news 
quickly." 

"  I  befooled  the  spy,"  I  boasted,  "  there's  naught 
to  fear  from  him.  But  much  has  happened  since  I 
saw  you." 

"  Have  you  any  word  of  Mr.  Hale's  enterprise?  " 
she  asked. 

"  None,  except  that  they  plan  to  return  to  Coenties 
Slip  at  the  dawn,"  I  explained.  "  Captain  Hull 
said  he  would  try  to  let  us  know  at  once  i'f  he  could 
find  a  messenger,  but  perchance  Will  himself  will 
come." 

"  Now  what  of  your  adventures?  "  mother  ques- 
tioned, "  for  I  can  see  by  your  bright  eyes  that  you 
have  not  been  asleep  since  I  saw  you." 

"  I  don't  believe  I  shall  ever  sleep  again !  "  I  be- 
gan excitedly,  and  forthwith  told  my  tale  for  the 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  121 

third  time  that  night;  but  this  time  it  was  a  differ- 
ent telling,  for  to  mother  I  could  open  my  heart  and 
had  no  need  to  hide  my  feelings,  either  of  fear  or 
of  fortitude.  I  sat  beside  her  and  she  held  my 
hand,  giving  it  a  gentle  squeeze  now  and  then  to 
show  she  understood  what  I  could  scarce  put  in 
words. 

"  And,  mother,  I  do  think  I  helped  to  save  Mr. 
Washington's  life,"  I  said  at  the  end. 

"  Yes,  my  dear,"  she  agreed,  "  you've  been  a 
brave  girl  and  a  sensible  one.  Moreover  I'm  in- 
clined to  think  your  spy  was  not  far  wrong  in  believ- 
ing that  General  Washington  is  essential  to  the  suc- 
cess of  our  cause." 

"  Then  I've  been  something  of  a  patriot,  haven't 
I,  mother?"  I  remarked,  putting  my  head  on  her 
shoulder  and  feeling,  though  I  couldn't  tell  exactly 
why,  as  if  I  should  like  to  cry  a  little. 

"  Ay,"  she  answered,  putting  an  arm  about  me, 
and  giving  me  a  loving  hug,  "  my  daughter  is  no  less 
a  patriot  than  her  brother.  I  am  very  proud  of  you 
both." 

This  mention  of  Will  held  us  silent  for  a  time, 
each  busy  with  her  thoughts,  for  now  that  the  ex- 
citement of  telling  mother  of  my  experience  was 
ebbing  away,  the  possibility  of  what  might  be  hap- 
pening to  him  came  uppermost  in  our  minds  and 
with  it  the  ache  of  anxiety. 

"  I  think  if  you  were  a  wise  patriot,  Mary,  you'd 
go  to  bed,"  mother  remarked  after  a  time,  but 
I'm  sure  she  scarce  expected  me  to  be  as  wise  as 
that. 

"  Oh,  I  couldn't  sleep  a  wink,  mother,"  I  an- 
swered, and  she  nodded  understandingly. 

"  But  you  could  rest,"  she  suggested. 

"  I'll  stretch  out  here,"  I  replied,,  and,  crossing 


122  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

the  room,  dropped  down  on  the  leather-covered 
couch. 

I  lay  watching  mother  and  listening  to  the  mo- 
notonous tick-tock  of  the  clock  above  the  mantel. 
Never  had  minutes  passed  so  slowly,  yet  I  am  not 
sure  I  wanted  them  to  fly  faster.  The  dawn  might 
not  bring  the  sloop  but  instead  the  news  that  the  ad- 
venture had  ended  in  failure. 

Mother,  whose  Bible  was  again  in  her  hands, 
tried  once  or  twice  to  read,  but  her  thoughts  must 
have  strayed  away  from  the  words,  for  at  length 
she  let  the  book  drop  into  her  lap  and  sat  gazing 
at  the  wall  with  unseeing  eyes.  'Twas  not  hard  to 
guess  something  of  what  was  passing  in  her  mind, 
for  doubtless  she  looked  back  upon  the  days  of  Will's 
growing  up  and  reflected  wistfully  upon  incidents  of 
those  happy  years. 

"  Mary,"  she  said,  suddenly,  "  tell  me  again  what 
Captain  Hull  intended  to  do  about  sending  us 
word?'\ 

"  He  is  to  despatch  a  messenger  if  he  can  find 
one,"  I  answered. 

A  sigh  escaped  her  and  she  glanced  at  the  clock, 
then  she  took  up  her  Bible,  but  soon  it  dropped  once 
more  into  her  lap.  Ten  slow  minutes  passed  and 
then  she  spoke. 

"  Did  Captain  Hull  think  there  would  be  diffi- 
culty in  finding  a  messenger?  "  she  asked. 

"  He  said  he  would  try,  mother,"  I  explained. 
"  You  see  he  feared  there  would  be  naught  but  sol- 
diers at  hand  and  that  they  could  not  be  spared. 
I  begged  him  to  send  brother,  and  he  said  he  would 
if  possible,  but  pointed  out  that  Will  would  prob- 
ably be  obliged  to  report  for  duty  as  soon  as  he 
landed." 

"  I  see,"  said  mother,  half  to  herself,  and  for 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  123 

another  space  we  were  silent,  busy  with  anxious 
thoughts  and  seeking  roads  of  hope  that  led  no 
whither. 

"Are  you  very  tired,  Mary?"  mother  asked 
finally,  and  then  I  saw  what  was  in  her  mind. 

11  Oh,  no,  mother,"  I  answered  readily,  jumping 
up  and  running  to  her,  "  I  can  go  and  bring  you 
the  news.  I  should  like  it  above  all  things." 

"  We  will  both  go,  my  child,"  she  declared,  stand- 
ing up. 

"But,  mother,  are  you  strong  enough?"  I  fal- 
tered, fearful  that  she  might  be  overcome  upon  the 
way. 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  I  am  strong  enough  for  anything 
but  sitting  still  and  doing  naught,"  she  cried  out 
on  a  sudden,  as  if  she  couldn't  bear  the  strain  a 
moment  longer.  "  Oh,  Mary,  Mary,"  she  went 
on,  her  voice  breaking  a  little,  "  I  cannot  always 
hide  my  feelings.  Am  I  to  sit  idle  with  a  passive 
face  while  all  of  you  are  helping  our  country? 
Must  I  be  patient  waiting  for  a  chance-met  messen- 
ger to  bring  me  news  of  my  boy's  life  or  death? 
Nay,  I  cannot !  " 

"  Come,  mother,  let  us  go !  "  I  exclaimed,  put- 
ting my  arms  about  her  for  a  moment  and  hugging 
her  close.  "  Captain  Hull  will  be  there  to  see  to 
your  comfort,  and  anything  is  better  than  counting 
these  awful  minutes  as  they  pass." 

"  You're  right,  Mary !  You're  right ! "  she 
agreed  eagerly.  "  'Tis  beyond  reason  to  think 
that  just  because  we  are  women  we  must  sit  with 
folded  hands,  while  all  about  us  there  is  work  to  be 
done." 

She  moved  toward  the  door  as  she  ended,  but  I 
held  her  back. 

"  Wait,  mother.     I  will  get  your  cloak  and  tell 


124  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Betty  where  we've  gone,"  I  called,  starting  off  ere 
the  words  were  out  of  my  mouth. 

Half  way  up  I  came  upon  our  black  cook  sitting 
on  the  stairs.  Indeed  I  nigh  fell  over  her. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?  "  I  asked  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"  I'se  jes  waitin',  'case  Mis'  Doctor  was  needin' 
me,"  she  answered  in  a  very  injured  tone.  "  Fo' 
the  land  sakes!  Where  is  you-all  a-rushin'  to? 
Upsettin'  a  body  this  a-way?  " 

"  We're  going  to  the  river  to  be  there  if  Master 
Will  comes  back,"  I  explained. 

"Now  what  fo'  you  doin'  that?"  she  protested. 
"  I  done  tell  Mis'  Trotter  Marse  Will  was  sure 
comin'  back." 

"But  how  can  you  be  certain,  Betty?"  I  de- 
manded, a  little  exasperated  at  her  positive  tone. 

"  'Deed,  Miss  Polly,  that  boy  allers  comes  back," 
she  replied  calmly.  "  Since  he  were  a  baby,  he 
done  come  back.  I's  tol'  him  there  was  b'ars  in 
the  jam  closet.  I's  done  'splain  there  was  hob- 
goblins in  the  cake  box  and  I's  done  ha'nt  the  apple 
barrel  with  ghosteses.  But  it  don't  be  no  good ! 
He  allers  comes  back  fo'  more,  an'  he  ain't  got  out  of 
the  habit  yet.  You  listen  to  what  ol'  black  Betty 
is  a-tellin'  you.  Marse  Will's  jes'  naturally  born  to 
come  back !  " 

I  envied  Betty  her  confidence,  which  was  not  bred 
of  indifference,  for  Will  was  as  the  apple  of  her 
eye;  but  I  could  get  no  comfort  out  of  her  assur- 
ances, seeing  from  what  trivial  sources  they  had 
come.  I  bade  her  go  to  bed,  and  taking  mother's 
cloak  and  bonnet,  returned  to  the  surgery. 

We  were  both  impatient  to  be  off  and  were  soon 
out  on  the  street  making  our  way  down  the  Broad 
Way.  There  was  a  first  hint  of  morning  in  the  air 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  125 

and  the  dawn  seemed  not  far  off,  though  we  saw  no 
glint  of  sunrise  in  the  East. 

We  turned  at  Wall  Street,  walking  thence  to  Han- 
over Square  and  so  on  to  Coenties  Slip.  We  found 
the  same  busy  confusion  that  I  had  seen  near  the 
Bowling  Green,  though  here  it  was  earthworks  and 
fortifications  upon  which  the  men  worked  so  fever- 
ishly. 

I  anticipated  trouble  in  getting  through  the  lines 
but,  to  my  great  surprise,  the  request  to  see  Cap- 
tain Hull  met  with  immediate  and  friendly  response. 

"  Oh,  yes,  miss,"  the  soldier  answered,  "  you'll 
find  him  right  over  there."  And  stepping  aside  to 
let  us  pass,  he  pointed  to  a  frame  shack. 

We  picked  our  way  over  the  rough,  uneven  earth 
to  the  place  indicated,  and  I  was  about  to  speak  to 
the  sentry  before  the  door  when  Captain  Hull  him- 
self appeared. 

"  I  thought  you  would  come,"  he  said,  greeting  us 
cordially. 

"Why  did  you  expect  us?"  I  asked,  puzzled  at 
this  evidence  of  his  foresight. 

"  To  tell  the  truth  I  couldn't  be  absolutely  sure," 
he  confessed,  "  but,  after  I  had  left  you,  I  thought 
how  hard  it  would  be  for  me  to  sit  still,  just  wait- 
ing, obliged  to  depend  upon  some  one  else  to  bring 
the  news.  I  couldn't  bear  it." 

"  It  was  impossible !  "  mother  murmured  in  an  un- 
dertone. 

"  So  I  guessed  it  would  be,"  the  Captain  con- 
tinued, "  and  I  told  the  sentries  that  if  a  young  lady 
came  asking  for  me  she  was  to  be  passed." 

"  You  have  been  more  than  kind,  Captain  Hull," 
said  mother,  earnestly,  but  he  protested  that  he  had 
done  only  what  common  courtesy  demanded. 

He  led  us  through  the  fortifications  to  the  dock, 


126  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

fetching  a  stool  for  mother  to  sit  upon.  We  went 
to  the  very  end  and  looked  out  upon  the  black  river, 
eddying  by  in  silent  mystery.  Here  we  reached  our 
goal  and  must  now  endure  the  vigil  with  what  pa- 
tience we  could  muster,  straining  our  eyes  to  catch 
the  first  glimpse  of  that  unknown  vessel  which  was 
to  bring  back  out  of  the  shadows  him  we  loved. 

"  They  will  come  from  there,"  said  Mr.  Hull, 
pointing  up  the  stream;  and  we  tried  to  pierce  the 
grey  mist  that  overhung  the  sable  waters. 

There  was  no  attempt  at  conversation.  Mother 
sat  rigidly  facing  in  the  direction  Mr.  Hull  had  in- 
dicated. The  Captain  paced  the  narrow  dock  rest- 
lessly, and  I,  standing  at  mother's  side  looked  to  the 
East,  hoping  for  the  first  sign  of  the  dawn. 

From  behind  us  came  the  indistinct  din  of  the  la- 
borers at  work  upon  the  fortification,  but  I,  for  one, 
soon  lost  all  consciousness  of  it  and  seemed  to  be  in 
the  midst  of  a  profound  silence. 

Once  or  twice  Mr.  Hull  stopped  abruptly,  his 
erect  figure  held  tense,  as  if  he  heard  or  saw  some- 
thing, then  with  a  disappointed  shake  of  his  head, 
he  took  up  again  his  tireless  pacing  to  and  fro.  At 
these  times  my  heart  jumped  and  I  held  my  breath, 
straining  my  eyes  and  ears  till  it  seemed  that  they 
would  burst.  But  naught  happened. 

At  last,  after  what  seemed  a  long,  long  time,  the 
sky  grew  grey  and  I  knew  that  the  hour  of  dawn 
was  at  hand.  What  would  it  bring?  Captain  Hull 
halted  near  us  and  soon  there  was  light  enough  to 
show  the  drawn,  stern  lines  of  his  thin  face. 
Mother  had  scarce  moved  a  muscle  since  she  had 
seated  herself  and  had  the  semblance  of  a  statue  so 
motionless  did  she  appear.  As  to  me  I  had  long 
since  lost  all  sense  of  bodily  feeling.  I  may  have 
been  tired  after  my  night's  experience,  but  I  knew 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  127 

it  not.  I  was  aware  only  that,  minute  by  min- 
ute, the  light  grew  stronger  and  that  the  time  was 
near  at  hand  when  all  our  doubts  must  be  resolved. 
And  still  naught  happened. 

With  the  gathering  dawn  we  had  hoped  to  look 
out  across  the  river  and  so  end  our  suspense  the 
sooner;  but  the  mists  grew  thicker  with  the  rising 
sun  and  shut  us  in  with  a  wet  blanket  of  fog.  We 
could  scarce  distinguish  the  water  a  hundred  feet 
from  the  dock,  and  not  until  the  sloop  was  almost 
landing  could  we  know  that  the  perilous  enterprise 
had  been  successful.  How  long  we  might  have  to 
wait  to  learn  of  its  failure  I  dared  not  think,  but  each 
passing  minute  made  the  pain  of  the  uncertainty 
more  unbearable. 

At  length  the  fog  took  on  a  ruddy  glow  in  the 
East  and  I  knew  that  the  sun  was  either  already 
up  or  so  near  it  that  its  full  rising  was  but  a  mat- 
ter of  minutes  —  and  yet  they  came  not!  I  gazed 
into  the  fog,  every  muscle  of  my  frame  on  the 
stretch  in  my  effort  to  penetrate  the  veil  that  hid 
—  I  knew  not  what.  My  fear  increased  with  the 
waxing  radiance,  until  a  great  dread  clutched  at  my 
heart. 

I  glanced  at  mother  and  Captain  Hull  to  see  if 
I  could  read  upon  their  countenances  the  conviction 
that  had  begun  to  possess  me,  dreading  that  what 
I  saw  would  confirm  my  own  growing  despair. 
Mother  still  stared  straight  ahead,  her  face  pale 
and  a  little  haggard;  but  there  was  no  sign  of  lost 
hope.  Even  while  I  looked  her  lips  moved  as  if 
she  said  a  prayer.  The  Captain,  standing  stiff  and 
straight  as  if  at  attention,  seemed  to  front  an  enemy 
but  gave  no  hint  of  how  the  battle  went. 

I  wondered  how  they  could  remain  so  impassive 
now  that  the  dawn  had  come  with  no  trace  of  those 


128  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

for  whom  we  waited.  My  courage  was  gone  and  I 
felt  that  in  another  minute  I  must  cry  out  that  Will 
was  lost  to  us. 

My  eyes  turned  back  once  more  to  the  river  and 
as  they  glanced  here  and  there,  scarce  seeing,  a  move- 
ment in  the  mist  caught  my  attention.  Breathlessly 
I  watched  the  spot,  and  then,  as  if  a  curtain  parted, 
the  bowsprit  or  a  vessel  showed  for  but  a  moment 
ere  it  disappeared  again,  and  on  the  end,  his  face 
half  turned  from  me,  stood  my  brother  Will. 

"  There  they  are !  "  I  shouted  at  the  top  of  my 
lungs,  springing  to  Mr.  Hull's  side  and  pointing. 
"  They're  out  there  1  I  saw  Will !  " 

The  Captain  shook  his  head  as  if  he  could  scarce 
believe  I  had  seen  aright,  but  through  the  fog  came  a 
muffled  voice. 

"  Is  that  you,  Polly  Trotter?;' '  It  was  Will  call- 
ing, and  I  danced  up  and  down  in  mad  joy. 

"  Yes,  it's  Polly!  "  I  cried  again  and  again. 

"  I  thought  I  must  have  been  dreaming,"  he  called 
back,  and  then  Captain  Hull  took  a  hand. 

"Hello!     Is  that  you,  Hale?" 

"Yes!     Where  are  you?" 

"  At  the  slip !     You've  got  the  sloop  ?  " 

"  Ay,  but  I  made  sure  we  should  lose  her  again 
in  this  smothering  fog.  Lower  the  sails,  boys,"  he 
ordered,  and  we  heard  the  rattle  of  the  cordage 
and  the  shouts  of  the  men  as  they  sprang  to  obey, 
but  as  yet  we  could  see  naught  of  them. 

Then  slowly,  as  if  out  of  a  cloud,  a  noble  sloop 
drifted  into  view;  and  there  at  last  were  those  we 
thought  were  lost,  come  back  to  us.  Captain  Hale 
was  in  the  stern,  steering;  while  Will  was  perched 
on  the  bowsprit  where  I  had  first  seen  him. 

"Ho,  Polly!"  he  called,  waving  a  hand  to  us, 
"  we  owe  you  something  for  that  shout.  We'd 


A  Voice  in  the  Fog  129 

about  given  up  hope  of  ever  finding  the  right 
shore." 

Suddenly  1  seemed  to  grow  weak  and  big  tears 
welled  up  in  my  eyes. 

"  Oh,  mother,  where  are  you?  "  I  sobbed. 

She  was  standing  beside  me,  her  eyes  fastened  on 
Will  and  a  smile  of  thankfulness  upon  her  lips;  but 
as  I  spoke  she  turned  and  took  me  in  her  loving 
arms  where,  since  my  babyhood,  I  had  gone  to  share 
my  joys  and  sorrows. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE   LAST   SERVICE 

HOW  the  news  of  the  adventure  was  spread 
abroad  so  quickly  I  know  not,  but  even  be- 
fore the  sloop  was  fairly  landed  the  little 
dock  was  filled  with  a  cheering  crowd  of  soldiers, 
and  those  who  had  shared  in  the  enterprise  were 
lauded  to  the  skies.  And  well  they  might  be,  for 
in  the  hold  of  the  vessel  were  such  stores  of  all  kinds 
that  much  suffering  was  sure  to  be  promptly  re- 
lieved. 

Mother  and  I  stayed  just  long  enough  to  give 
Will  a  good  hug  and  to  congratulate  Mr.  Hale. 
Then  Captain  Hull  escorted  us  through  the  lines 
to  the  street,  and  we  made  our  way  slowly  home. 
Will  promised  to  come  to  us  as  soon  as  his  duty 
permitted,  and  we  were,  perforce,  obliged  to  await 
for  a  full  description  of  the  expedition.  But  after 
the  anxiety  of  those  long  hours  of  watching  we 
deemed  that  no  great  hardship,  knowing  he  was 
safe. 

Betty  met  us  at  the  door  with  a  confident  smile  on 
her  broad  black  face,  but  she  grinned  widely  at  our 
news,  showing  that  there  had  been  at  least  a  shadow 
of  doubt  in  her  mind. 

"  Ain't  I  done  tol'  you,  Mis'  Trotter,  ma'am, 
that  boy'd  come  back?"  she  insisted.  "You  jes' 
trust  ol'  Betty  knowing  what's  she's  talkin'  about. 
Now  you  all  get  your  things  off  and  come  to  break- 

130 


The  Last  Service  131 

fast,  'cause  it's  pinin'  to  be  et  up  and  you  must  be 
mighty  empty  inside  you'selves." 

She  bustled  about  us,  seeing  to  our  comfort  while 
she  talked,  and  we  were  both  too  tired  to  resist  her 
kindly  services  even  had  we  been  so  minded. 

"  Now  get  you  to  bed,  Polly,"  ordered  mother, 
who  had  been  watching  me  nodding  as  I  ate. 

"  And  you,  mother,"  I  replied  sleepily,  but  her 
eyes  were  wider  open  than  mine. 

"  I  shall  rest,"  she  answered,  and  I  stumbled  off 
to  my  room  scarce  knowing  how  I  got  there,  nor  how 
I  managed  to  don  my  night-rail. 

'Twas  near  to  five  in  the  afternoon  when  I  woke 
up,  and  I  might  indeed  have  slept  the  clock  around, 
had  not  the  knocker  sounding  down  stairs  brought 
me  to  my  senses. 

I  jumped  out  of  bed  and,  opening  the  door  a  crack, 
listened  for  the  voices  in  the  hall  below  to  discover 
if  possible  who  visited  us. 

"  Where's  Polly?  "  were  the  first  words  I  heard, 
shouted  by  Will,  and  poking  out  my  head  I  called 
to  him. 

"  I'll  be  there  in  a  minute,"  I  cried  excitedly,  and 
began  my  robing  in  hot  haste,  chagrined  that  I 
should  not  have  been  on  hand  to  greet  him. 

I  delayed  not  to  primp  and  was  soon  running 
down  the  stairs  at  top  speed,  but  Will  was  not  the 
only  one  I  found.  Captain  Hale,  Mr.  Hull  and  fa- 
ther were  there  as  well  and  a  royal  welcome  they 
gave  me  as  I  burst  in  upon  them.  All  had  heard  of 
my  doings  of  the  night  before,  the  story  of  how 
Mistress  Polly  Trotter  had  saved  the  General's  life 
being  common  property  at  headquarers  by  this  time, 
and  they  shouted  three  cheers,  vowing  I  was  the 
bravest  patriot  of  them  all. 

"  Indeed,  Mistress  Polly,"  Captain  Hale  insisted, 


132  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  of  the  services  done  last  night  yours  was  infinitely 
the  greater.  We  could  have  gotten  along  without 
the  sloop,  but  lacking  General  Washington  our  cause 
might  well  be  hopeless." 

"Ay!"  cried  Will,  "and  it  seems  to  me  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  Polly  we  might  be  out  on  that  river 
yet,  or  never  have  gone  for  the  sloop."  At  which 
there  was  more  talk  of  my  doings  until  I  blushed, 
embarrassed  at  their  praises,  albeit  I  could  not  but 
be  a  little  proud  and  very  happy. 

"  But  you  must  tell  me  how  you  took  the  sloop," 
I  demanded,  for  I  had  been  most  anxious  to  hear 
that  tale. 

"  Oh,"  cried  Mr.  Hale,  "  it  was  so  easy  that  there 
is  scarce  anything  to  talk  about."  And  in  a  meas- 
ure this  was  true,  for  the  plan  had  carried  through 
without  a  hitch  and  save  for  the  fog  at  the  end, 
when  they  had  lost  their  bearings  altogether,  naught 
had  happened  to  jeopardize  the  adventure.  The 
very  boldness  of  the  scheme  had  made  for  its  suc- 
cess. So  well  guarded  was  the  sloop  that  the  Brit- 
ish had  no  fears,  and,  once  the  watch  aboard  her 
had  been  silently  secured,  'twas  no  trick  to  slip 
away  while  the  guards  upon  the  Asia  called  "  All's 
well!" 

Nevertheless  it  was  a  great  feather  in  Mr.  Hale's 
cap,  and  his  Colonel  had  naught  but  praise  for  his 
enterprise.  There  was  no  word  of  a  reprimand  as 
he  had  predicted,  but  when  Captain  Hale  heard  of 
Mr.  Washington's  views  upon  the  matter  he  was  not 
so  sure  it  was  merely  his  success  that  had  saved  him 
a  severe  censuring. 

"  Now  I  understand,"  he  laughed,  "  why  His  Ex- 
cellency was  a  thought  cool  over  his  congratulations. 
But  he  kept  his  promise,  Miss  Polly." 

"  I  cannot  but  think,"  said  father  soberly,  "  that 


The  Last  Service  133 

His  Excellency's  view  of  the  matter  is  the  correct 
one." 

"  Of  course  it  is,"  agreed  Mr.  Hale  heartily. 
"  He  is  always  right.  We  should  not  have  gone,  I 
grant  you ;  but  once  the  notion  took  me,  sir,  I  could 
not  get  it  out  of  my  head." 

"  And  'twas  Polly  Trotter  put  it  there !  "  cried 
Will.  "  'Twas  all  her  fault,  so  you  must  scold  her, 
father." 

"  Nay,  an  it  had  not  been  for  Polly  you  would 
all  have  had  a  rating  that  I  doubt  not  you  would 
have  remembered  for  many  a  day,"  said  mother 
laughingly. 

Just  then  Betty  came  into  the  room. 

"  Dinner  am  served,  Madam  Trotter,"  she  an- 
nounced ceremoniously,  and  then,  to  brother,  with 
a  sly  glance  at  me,  "  I  see  you's  come  back,  Marse 
Will?" 

"  Of  course  I've  come  back,  Betty,"  Will  an- 
swered, knowing  not  the  significance  of  her  words 
at  that  time.  "  Are  there  any  cookies  in  the  cake- 
box?" 

"  'Deed,  Marse  Will,  there  ain't  nothin'  but  hob- 
goblins in  that  box,"  she  returned,  "  and  they  sure 
will  cotch  you  if  you  go  a-nigh  it,"  she  ended  with 
a  peal  of  laughter  that  was  so  infectious  that  we 
followed  her  to  the  dining-room  in  a  gale  of  mer- 
riment. 

I  think  I  had  never  eaten  so  gay  a  dinner  as 
that  one.  It  had  all  been  arranged  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment,  and  food  was  too  hard  come  by  in 
the  city  for  us  to  make  much  of  a  show,  but  there 
was  scarce  a  better  cook  in  the  Colonies  than  our 
Betty,  so  there  was  no  lack  of  good  things.  And 
what  we  had  to  eat  made  little  difference.  We 
laughed  and  talked,  going  over  and  over  again  the 


134  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

story  of  the  night's  adventures;  remembering  de- 
tails forgotten  in  the  first  telling;  answering  the  same 
questions  a  dozen  times  and  explaining  this  or  that 
till  all  was  clear. 

Oh,  what  a  happy  little  party  it  was.  To  me  it 
seemed  as  if  we  had  come  out  of  a  dark  cave  into 
the  light,  leaving  behind  us  all  the  shadows  of  doubt 
and  anxiety. 

But  it  ended  all  too  quickly,  for  the  officers  were 
forced  to  leave  and  hurry  back  to  their  duties. 
They  would  come  again,  of  course,  but  I  felt  sure 
there  would  never  be  another  dinner  quite  like  that. 

Father,  however,  remained  for  a  time  and  I, 
thinking  that  he  and  mother  might  have  matters  to 
discuss  privately,  was  for  going  out  to  help  Betty, 
but  father  stayed  me. 

"  Nay,  daughter,"  he  said,  "  you  have  surely 
earned  the  right  to  take  part  in  our  family  coun- 
cils." 

So  I  sat  down  again  feeling  very  grown-up  and 
he  went  on  to  lay  before  us  a  matter  that  had  been 
in  his  mind  for  a  long  time. 

"  It  is  the  question  of  you  and  Polly  leaving  the 
city  that  has  been  troubling  me,"  he  said,  addressing 
mother,  and  she  nodded  understandingly.  We  had 
discussed  this  problem  of  our  departure  many  times 
before,  but  father,  in  spite  of  the  numerous  alarms, 
had  not  felt  called  upon  to  urge  mother  to  leave 
our  home,  particularly  since  he  and  Will  had  re- 
turned from  Boston.  For  these  reasons  we  had 
remained  when  nearly  all  our  friends  had  departed, 
willing  to  put  up  with  any  inconvenience  for  the  sake 
of  being  near  them. 

Now  the  matter  had  become  grave.  The  British 
army  under  General  Howe  had  arrived  from  Hali- 
fax, whither  it  had  gone  after  evacuating  Boston,  and 


The  Last  Service  135 

was  at  last  seriously  planning  to  take  the  city.  Al- 
ready warnings  had  been  issued  for  all  women  and 
children  to  quit  the  town,  so  that  for  days  there  had 
been  repetitions  of  the  past  panic-stricken  flights  to 
places  of  safety,  though  to  be  sure  I  marvelled  that 
there  were  so  many  people  left.  But  this  time  the 
danger  was  real.  A  large  army  of  red-coats  was 
preparing  to  land  somewhere  on  our  shores,  and  a 
great  fleet  of  war-vessels  under  Admiral  Lord  Howe 
was  momentarily  expected. 

"  I  have  known  for  some  time,"  father  said, 
"  that  sooner  or  later  you  would  be  obliged  to  de- 
part, but  to-day  General  Washington  spoke  to  me 
privately  and  advised  me  to  send  you  and  Polly  into 
the  country  without  delay." 

"  Then  he  thinks  the  British  may  attack  any 
day?"  asked  mother. 

"  Ay,  that  is  the  interpretation  I  put  upon  his 
words,"  replied  father.  "  It  may  not  be  to-mor- 
row or  the  next  day,  but  it  will  be  soon,  and  no  one 
on  our  side  can  tell  when." 

"  Very  well,  but  'tis  not  on  my  own  account  that 
I  consent,"  mother  protested.  "  Even  if  the  enemy 
should  take  New  York  I  cannot  feel  that  much  hurt 
would  come  to  Mary  or  me.  The  British  are  not 
barbarians  at  worst.  But  in  that  case  we  should  be 
cut  off  from  you  and  Will.  Moreover  you  would 
be  anxious  for  our  safety,  so  I  agree  that  we  had 
better  leave." 

Father's  brother,  James  Trotter,  a  jolly  uncle 
who  visited  us  about  once  a  year,  had  a  large  farm 
in  the  North  of  the  Jerseys.  He,  we  knew,  would 
make  us  welcome  and  it  was  decided  that  we  should 
make  a  start  early  Monday  morning.  That  would 
give  us  Saturday  and  Sunday  for  the  needful  prepa- 
ration, which  we  decided  should  not  be  extensive. 


136  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

We  should  take  only  those  things  which  were  neces- 
sary, counting  upon  Uncle  James's  household  to 
make  us  wholly  comfortable. 

Betty,  of  course,  was  to  go  with  us,  and  her  joy 
at  the  news  was  pathetic.  I  then  realized  for  the 
first  time  how  sincere  was  her  devotion  and  loyalty 
to  us. 

"  'Deed  that  am  powerful  good  news,  honey !  " 
she  exclaimed,  "  you  all  don't  know  the  scared 
feelin's  I's  been  havin'  with  all  these  so'jer  gem'- 
men  ready  to  go  shootin'  each  other,  and  awful  care- 
less who  they's  hittin'.  If  I  was  one  of  them  thin 
critters,  I  wouldn't  be  so  mighty  fearful,  but,  chil', 
there's  such  a  lot  o'  oF  Betty  to  get  in  the  way  of 
them  bullets." 

With  these  plans  to  be  forwarded  we  were  up  be- 
times next  morning,  hard  at  work  covering  furniture, 
laying  away  linen  and  doing  the  thousand  and  one 
things  needed  to  leave  our  home  in  order.  It  must 
be  done  thoroughly,  for  we  knew  not  when  we 
should  return  to  it;  but  mother  was  ever  a  careful 
housewife  so  that  by  Saturday  night  we  were  as  near 
ready  for  our  departure  as  we  wished.  All  we  had 
left  to  do  were  those  last  things  which  take  but  a 
moment  or  two,  and  of  which,  when  it  is  too  late, 
one  wonders  how  many  have  been  forgotten. 

Now,  although  we  had  planned  to  go,  and  every- 
thing was  ready  for  our  departure  on  the  Monday, 
the  matter  fell  out  otherwise  as  I  shall  explain. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Continental  soldiers  there 
had  been  a  renewal  of  the  agitation  against  the 
Tories  remaining  in  the  city,  for  with  reason  they 
were  suspected  of  plotting  with  the  British  Governor 
Tryon  who  still  lived  aboard  the  Duchess  of  Gordon 
lying  in  the  harbour. 

This  feeling  had  greatly  increased  when  it  was 


The  Last  Service  137 

noised  abroad  that  General  Washington's  life  had 
been  threatened,  so  just  at  this  time,  when  we  were 
ready  to  leave,  the  patriots  were  very  bitter  against 
anything  that  smacked  of  loyalty  to  the  crown. 
Thus  it  came  about  that  Mr.  Inglis,  the  assistant  rec- 
tor of  Trinity  Church,  was  warned  that  he  must 
omit  the  prayers  which  are  set  down  for  the  King. 

We  had  heard  something  of  these  threats  but  paid 
scant  heed  to  them,  so  that  on  Sunday  morning 
mother  and  I  went  to  church  together,  and  it  so  hap- 
pened that  we  were  part  of  the  last  congregation 
to  assemble  in  the  old  building. 

It  was  a  most  beautiful  day,  and  the  service  had 
hardly  begun  when,  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  fife 
and  drum,  a  hundred  or  more  men,  armed  with 
muskets  with  fixed  bayonets,  entered  the  church.  At 
first  we  thought  it  was  a  part  of  our  army.  But 
from  lip  to  lip  passed  the  whisper  that  General 
Washington  had  ordered  this  demonstration,  a  ru- 
mour which  later  he  indignantly  repudiated. 

In  they  marched,  shouting  to  Mr.  Inglis  at  the  top 
of  their  voices  that  if  he  prayed  for  the  King  they 
would  shoot  him  where  he  stood. 

It  was  very  terrible,  and  we  of  the  congregation 
knew  not  what  to  do.  The  rector  stood  at  the  altar, 
pale  but  steadfast  while  the  mob  crowded  all  the 
aisles.  From  many  parts  of  the  building  I  could 
hear  the  pitiful  cries  of  women  and  children  and  in 
truth  I  could  scarce  suppress  my  own  feelings. 
Some  even  swooned,  as  well  they  might,  for  at  any 
moment  we  expected  to  see  the  minister  slain  before 
our  eyes.  Yet  for  a  time  he  said  naught  but  stood 
silent  and  grave,  as  if  he  only  waited  for  the  dis- 
turbance to  subside. 

Finally,  when  the  mob  had  quieted  in  a  measure, 
he  began  reading  in  a  calm,  even  voice  without  the 


138  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

slightest  tremour.  On  and  on  he  went,  while  we 
followed  his  words  in  the  prayer-book  with  anxious 
hearts  as  he  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  forbidden 
supplication. 

Then,  in  clear  ringing  tones  as  if  he  challenged 
the  mob  to  do  their  worst,  he  began  the  prayer  for 
the  King  and  the  Royal  Family  amid  frantic  sobs 
and  muttered  commands  that  he  cease.  On  he  went 
to  the  end,  as  it  was  written,  and  then  he  stopped, 
expecting,  I  think,  that  the  rabble  would  then  and 
there  execute  their  threat. 

But,  from  whatever  cause  I  know  not,  nothing 
was  done,  save  that  there  came  a  great  hooting  and 
shouting,  in  the  midst  of  which  Mr.  Inglis  ended  the 
service  and  left  the  chancel. 

With  shaking  limbs  I  rose  to  take  my  way  out 
with  the  others  but  as  mother  got  to  her  feet  she 
swayed  from  side  to  side  and  would  have  fallen  had 
I  not  caught  her  in  my  arms.  Then,  as  I  let  her  rest 
in  the  pew,  her  head  dropped  back  and  I  saw  that  she 
had  fainted. 

There  was  no  lack  of  friends  to  help  me,  and 
happily  Dr.  Lober  was  there,  so  that  a  chariot  was 
quickly  provided  and  she  was  soon  home  in  bed  at- 
tended by  the  best  physician  obtainable;  but  she  re- 
mained unconscious  in  spite  of  all  that  could  be  done 
and  I  was  greatly  alarmed. 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  will  mother  die?  "  I  asked  in  agony. 

"  Nay,  nay,  Polly,"  he  answered,  reassuringly. 
"  She  will  not  die,  but  it  will  be  many  weeks  ere  she 
is  out  of  her  bed." 

In  dismay  I  looked  about  me  at  the  ordered  rooms 
made  ready  for  our  departure  on  the  morrow.  Of 
one  thing  only  was  I  certain.  Mother  and  I  would 
not  leave  New  York  for  some  time  to  come,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  British  army  might  do. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

INDEPENDENCY 

A  GOOD    many    of    the    days    that    followed 
mother's  sudden  illness  left  but  little  mark 
upon  my  memory.     I  recollect  father's  com- 
ing very  shortly  after  we  reached  home  from  the 
church,  some  kind  neighbour  having  sent  word  to 
headquarters.     He   and   Dr.   Lober  were   closeted 
together  in  consultation  and  after  a  long,  long  time 
he  sought  me  in  the  surgery,  whither  I  had  gone  to 
hide  myself  while  awaiting  his  report  upon  mother's 
condition. 

He  seated  himself  on  the  old  couch  at  my  side, 
looking  so  worn  and  anxious  that  I  was  filled  with 
forebodings  and  could  not  speak  for  dread  of  what 
he  was  about  to  tell  me. 

"  Your  mother  will  get  well,  Polly  dear,"  he  said 
at  length,  laying  a  hand  on  mine,  "  but  I  fear — " 

"  Oh,  there  is  naught  to  fear  if  she  gets  well," 
I  cried  thankfully,  feeling  as  if  a  ton's  weight  had 
been  lifted  from  my  heart. 

He  pressed  my  hand  and  patted  it  lovingly. 

"  You  are  a  dear,  brave  girl,  Polly,"  he  mur- 
mured, and  there  was  a  little  choke  in  his  voice. 
"  If  it  were  not  for  you  I  know  not  what  I  should 
do,  but  I  must  tell  you  that  it  may  be  months  ere 
your  mother  can  walk  again." 

"Poor,  poor  mother,"  I  sobbed.  "Will  she 
suffer,  father?" 

139 


140  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Nay,  very  little  I'm  glad  to  say,"  he  answered. 
"  But  her  recovery  will  be  very  slow.  There  is  but 
little  medicine  can  do  for  her.  Good  care  and 
nursing  are  her  greatest  needs.  And  how  you  will 
manage  it  all — ." 

"  Oh,  father,  you  mustn't  worry  on  my  account," 
I  assured  him,  guessing  something  of  what  was  in 
his  mind. 

"  But  I  do,  Polly,"  he  answered.  "  Even  I  can- 
not help  you,  for  having  set  my  hand  to  the  work 
of  our  country  I  may  not  give  it  up." 

"  Nor  would  I  have  you  do  it  on  my  account,"  I 
told  him.  "  Sure  I  can  manage  finely,  and  if  that 
frees  you  to  lend  your  skill  to  our  soldiers  then  I, 
too,  am  serving  our  country." 

He  made  much  of  me  over  this,  more,  I  think 
than  I  deserved^  for  indeed  I  would  have  been  a 
poor  patriot  and  an  ungrateful  daughter  if  I  had 
failed  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  lighten  his  burden. 

When  father  went  back  to  mother's  room  I  sought 
Betty  in  the  kitchen.  To  lose  her  willing  service 
would  be  a  sad  blow,  but  I  could  not  in  conscience 
ask  her  to  stay  longer,  knowing  how  real  were  her 
fears  for  her  life.  She  was  not  a  slave  nor  a  bond- 
servant, but  free  to  go  an  it  pleased  her,  and  she 
could  easily  find  employment  out  of  the  city.  So, 
in  no  very  happy  frame  of  mind,  I  told  her  of  our 
situation  while  she  looked  at  me  amazed,  her  eyes 
growing  wider  and  wider  as  she  listened. 

"  And  you  see,  Betty,"  I  ended,  "  we  cannot  go, 
but  that  is  no  reason  why  you  should  risk  your  life 
by  staying  longer  in  New  York." 

She  stared  at  me  for  a  moment,  then  two  great 
tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Is  you  really  sendin'  ol'  Betty  away,  Miss 
Polly?"  she  asked,  in  a  heartbroken  voice. 


Independency  141 

"  Nay,  Betty,  I'm  not  sending  you,"  I  tried  to 
explain,  but  she  would  not  listen. 

"  And  ain't  I  gwine  to  see  the  fambly  no  mo'?  " 
she  broke  out,  her  lips  trembling  while  the  tears 
came  faster.  "  Ain't  I  never  gwine  to  make  no  mo' 
cookies  fo'  Master  Will?  Oh,  honey  chile,  what's 
oF  Betty  done  that  you-all  is  drivin'  her  off  this 
a-way?  " 

"  You  haven't  done  a  thing,  Betty,"  I  began,  but 
she  broke  in  again. 

"  I  never  'spects  this  day  would  come,"  she  went 
on  mournfully;  "  I's  watched  you  and  you'  brother 
a-growin'  up  since  you  was  knee-high  to  nothin',  I 
have.  I'se  been  a  faithful  ol'  servant  to  you'  ma 
since  afore  you  was  born,  and  I  wants  to  tell  you, 
chile,  right  now,  that  come  fair  or  foul  ol'  Betty 
ain't  goin'  away  nohow.  If  you  stays,  I  stays,  and 
there's  an  end  to  it !  " 

But  that  wasn't  the  end  to  it,  for  I  ran  to  the 
dear  old  soul  and  threw  my  arms  about  her,  my  tears 
falling  fast. 

"  Oh,  Betty,  I'm  so  glad,"  I  sobbed.  "  I  couldn't 
have  gotten  along  without  you." 

"  'Course  you  couldn't,  honey  chile,"  she  crooned, 
patting  me  softly  as  she  used  to  do  when  I  was  little. 

"  And  you  know  I  didn't  want  you  to  go,"  I  in- 
sisted. 

"  Hum  —  maybe  I  'spected  it,  honey,"  she  ad- 
mitted. "  But  what  kind  o'  hurt  ol'  Betty's  feelin's 
was  you  all  'sposin'  for  a  minute  that  I  would  a-left 
the  fambly  'cause  there  was  danger  hoverin'  round. 
I's  only  an  ol'  black  woman,  honey,  but  I'se  got  my 
feelin's  same  as  white  folks." 

So  Betty  stayed,  as  I  might  have  known  she 
would,  and  in  a  few  days  the  house  was  again  in 
order.  In  a  week  we  had  settled  down  to  the  rou- 


142  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

tine  of  nursing  mother  and,  save  for  my  extra  duties, 
our  life  went  on  much  as  before. 

Will  and  his  friends  were  shortly  sent  to  Long 
Island,  and  father  scarce  knew  from  day  to  day 
where  his  duty  would  call  him,  so  there  were  hours 
when  I  felt  very  lonely;  but  I  set  myself  the  task  of 
cheerfulness,  and  the  time  sped  quickly,  for  I  lacked 
not  work  to  do.  When  my  household  duties  were 
accomplished  and  dainties  made  to  tempt  poor  moth- 
er's appetite,  there  was  lint  to  be  scraped  and  band- 
ages to  be  got  ready  against  the  looked-for  battle, — 
which  however  came  not  so  soon  as  was  expected. 

Meanwhile  mother's  progress  seemed  very  slow, 
so  slow  indeed  was  it  that  only  by  looking  back  to 
the  commencement  of  her  illness  could  I  notice  any 
improvement,  although  both  father  and  Dr.  Lober 
assured  me  she  was  doing  as  well  as  could  be  ex- 
pected. But  she  slept  the  greater  part  of  the  day 
and  night,  and  for  a  while  at  least  she  had  no  true 
realization  of  what  had  occurred,  nor  a  proper  un- 
derstanding of  our  circumstances.  She  seemed, 
during  her  waking  hours,  to  live  wholly  in  the  past, 
and  talked  to  me  as  she  might  have  when  I  was 
scarce  more  than  a  baby.  This  distressed  me 
greatly,  until  father  made  it  plain  that  as  her 
strength  increased  this  state  of  her  mind  would  rem- 
edy itself. 

But  it  must  not  be  thought  that  all  my  days  were 
spent  indoors,  or  that  I  was  wholly  dependent  upon 
Betty  for  companionship.  One  of  my  girl  friends 
still  remained  near  the  city,  living  not  far  above 
Inclenberg,  the  estate  of  Mr.  Robert  Murray. 
This  was  Sophia  Watts  who  was  about  a  year  older 
than  I  and  too  much  given,  for  my  taste,  to  thinking 
of  the  young  officers  and  their  doings.  For  all  that 
I  was  overjoyed  when  she  was  let  come  into  town 


Independency  143 

to  spend  the  night  with  me,  as  her  mother  sometimes 
permitted  her  to  do. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  on  a  day  early  in  July 
Mr.  Watts  had  driven  to  the  city  and  having  busi- 
ness that  would  keep  him  over  night  he  had  dropped 
Sophia  at  our  house  planning  to  call  for  her  on  the 
morrow.  This  was  vastly  to  my  liking,  for  father 
was  in  the  city  also  and  had  arranged  to  spend  the 
afternoon  with  mother,  thus  giving  me  a  free  foot. 
Having  a  companion  it  was  a  fine  opportunity  to 
take  the  air,  and  we  decided  to  walk  out  into  the 
country  to  a  small  farm  owned  by  an  Irishman 
named  Dolan.  'Twas  in  my  mind  to  see  if  he  still 
had  some  late  strawberries  or,  failing  these,  early 
raspberries,  for  it  was  between  seasons  for  fruit 
and  mother  seemed  to  relish  that  more  than  any 
other  food. 

We  started  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  thus  it 
came  about  that  Sophia  and  I,  arm  in  arm,  were 
passing  the  upper  barracks  near  the  Liberty  Pole 
when  on  a  sudden  the  drums  sounded  an  alarm  and 
the  soldiers  came  tumbling  out  of  their  tents  in  hot 
haste.  Now  it  was  well  known  that  the  men  were 
called  to  duty  at  odd  times  in  order  to  accustom  them 
to  unexpected  happenings,  and  we  thought  at  first 
that  this  was  some  such  drill.  When,  however,  they 
were  assembled,  the  scene  appeared  so  war-like  that 
I  began  to  doubt  that  this  was  but  parade. 

"  Had  we  not  better  turn  back  while  we  can, 
Sophia?"  I  suggested,  pulling  at  her  sleeve. 

"  Nay,"  she  answered  lightly,  "  I  mean  to  see  the 
fun."  And  she  stopped  in  her  tracks. 

"  But  Sophia !  "  I  protested,  "  mayhap  they  are 
about  to  fight." 

"  Nonsense,  Polly,"  she  interrupted,  "  to  me  it 
looks  vastly  more  like  family  prayers  than  a  battle." 


144  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Which  in  a  way  was  true,  for  as  we  talked,  an  officer 
with  a  paper  in  his  hand  mounted  a  barrel  in  front 
of  his  troops  and  began  to  read. 

We  were  so  far  away  that  we  could  catch  scarce 
anything  of  what  was  said,  but  I  heard  the  words 
"  by  order  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  "  and  a  little 
later  something  about  the  "  course  of  human  events," 
but  could  in  no  wise  make  sense  of  it.  Yet  to  our 
surprise,  for  it  seemed  dry  stuff  enough,  the  officers 
and  soldiers  alike,  were  nigh  distraught  with  enthu- 
siasm, and  at  the  end  cheered  mightily,  flinging  up 
their  caps  while  the  bugles  blew  a  lively  tune  and  the 
drums  beat  madly. 

I  was  puzzled,  wondering  what  it  might  all  be 
about,  for  although  at  the  end  of  this  demonstration 
the  men  broke  ranks  and  returned  quietly  to  their 
quarters,  there  was  an  undercurrent  of  excitement 
and  I  could  not  feel  quite  easy  in  my  mind. 

"Faith,  we're  out  of  luck,  Polly!"  exclaimed 
Sophia  pettishly.  "  We  may  as  well  go  on." 

"Would  it  not  be  better  to  turn  back?"  I  sug- 
gested; still  feeling  unsettled. 

"Now  tell  me  why?"  she  demanded,  opening 
wide  her  blue  eyes.  "  Because  a  dandy  like  young 
Captain  Hamilton  has  chosen  this  time  to  teach  his 
men  how  to  point  their  toes  and  tie  their  cravats, 
must  we  run  home  like  frightened  children?" 

"Was  that  Captain  Hamilton?  "  I  asked,  forget- 
ting all  else  in  my  surprise.  "  Sure,  I  thought  this 
officer  a  much  taller  man." 

Sophia  laughed  derisively. 

"  You're  a  sly  puss,  Mistress  Polly  Trotter,"  she 
said.  "  Faith,  I  know  not  if  it  were  Captain  Ham- 
ilton or  no;  but  here  am  I,  your  best  friend,  or 
nearly,  and  you  have  never  told  me  you  even  knew 
him,  much  less  that  it  was  jealousy  of  Mr.  Hamil- 


Independency  145 

ton  that  drove  Roger  Delancy  to  declare  for  the 
King." 

"  Sophia  I  "  I  exclaimed,  scandalized  at  this  non- 
sense. "  How  can  you  be  such  a  nizzy?  Sure 
Roger  and  I  have  been  like  brother  and  sister,  and 
all  the  world  knows  the  politics  of  every  Delancy 
that  ever  breathed." 

"  Ay,  the  Delancys  are  [Toryish,"  Sophia  ad- 
mitted grudgingly,  "  but  that  does  not  explain  away 
Mr.  Hamilton.  'Tis  whispered  that  he  sings  your 
praises  louder  than  is  quite  pleasing  to  Kitty  Living- 
ston or  Susan  Boudinot." 

"  Nay,  hold  thy  chattering  tongue,"  I  laughed, 
a  little  flattered  for  all  that  I  doubted  not  Sophia 
was  but  drawing  a  long  bow  as  was  her  wont. 
"  You  know  as  well  as  I  that  a  young  gentleman 
who  has  for  friends  grown  maids  like  the  Living- 
stons looks  upon  girls  of  our  age  as  children." 

"  Oh,  does  he,  indeed,"  cried  Sophia,  tossing  her 
head.  "  Sure  if  he  tried  to  condescend  to  me  I'd 
soon  remind  him  that  he  owes  his  own  grey  hair 
to  powder.  But  cease  your  quarrelling  with  me, 
Polly.  Here  we  are  nigh  to  Dolans  so  I'll  spare 
your  blushes  and  not  tease  you  any  longer." 

In  the  heat  of  my  argument  with  the  saucy  Sophia 
I  had  gone  on  at  her  side,  forgetting  my  misgivings 
about  continuing  our  walk,  and  now  we  dallied  some- 
what over-long  at  the  Dolan  farm,  picking  the  fruit 
and  inspecting  the  flower  garden  of  which  the  old 
man  was  justly  proud,  so  that  it  was  already  almost 
dusk  when  we  set  out  upon  our  return  journey. 

I  started  briskly,  for  the  lowering  sun  had  cooled 
the  air  pleasantly  and  I  was  anxious  to  be  home 
again.  But  Sophia  refused  to  be  hurried.  'Twas 
not  that  she  was  a  selfish  nor  a  heartless  girl,  and 
really  indifferent  to  my  anxiety,  but  she  knew  as  I 


146  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

did,  that  father  would  by  now  have  given  mother 
her  sleeping  potion  and  gone  back  to  his  duties,  so 
that  none  worried  over  our  absence  unless  'twas 
Betty  who  was  not  like  to  be  unduly  concerned. 
Therefore  she  proposed  to  gratify  her  taste  for  nov- 
elty and  excitement,  if  so  be  she  could  find  the  means. 
But  I  fretted  to  be  back,  conscious  of  my  responsi- 
bilities and  not  liking  to  be  absent  too  long  from 
the  house. 

"  Do  hurry,  Sophia,"  I  begged,  trying  to  stir  her 
out  of  a  languid  loitering. 

"  Nay,  I'm  exhausted,  my  dear,"  she  replied,  look- 
ing at  me  gravely,  "  you  could  no  more  hurry  me 
than  you  could  move  the  Statue  of  George  the 
Third." 

'  That  would  be  a  hopeless  task,"  I  answered, 
laughing  at  her  strange  conceit.  "  But  you  are 
scarce  so  solid  as  that  statue,"  and  I  made  as  if  to 
push  her  along. 

"  Faith,  Polly !  "  she  cried,  "  if  you  do  that  I  shall 
have  the  vapours  —  or  whatever  fashionable  young 
ladies  have  when  they  are  thwarted." 

"  Sure  you  would  never  flop  upon  the  dusty  road 
in  your  best  pelisse,"  I  retorted. 

"  I  cannot  tell  exactly,"  she  replied  impishly,  "  but 
if  I  have  not  my  way  I  feel  sure  an  attack  will  over- 
come me  just  about  as  we  reach  the  barracks. 
There  is  fine  grass  there  and  no  lack  of  help  for  a 
maiden  in  distress." 

Truly  Sophia  was  in  a  wild  and  freakish  mood, 
and,  though  I  took  not  this  threat  seriously,  I  never- 
theless desisted  from  my  efforts  to  hasten  her,  think- 
ing it  the  part  of  wisdom  not  to  furnish  any  excuse 
for  her  to  put  into  practise  the  prank  she  hinted  at. 
But  darkness  was  coming  on  apace  and  'twas  some- 
thing of  a  task  to  curb  my  impatience. 


Independency  '147 

It  was  with  considerable  relief,  therefore,  that  I 
heard  the  rumble  of  wheels  behind  me,  for  if  per- 
chance some  one  I  knew  was  driving  into  town  I 
would  beg  a  lift,  sure  that  Sophia  could  not  resist  a 
ride. 

We  stepped  aside  to  avoid  being  run  down,  and 
as  the  vehicle  came  abreast  of  us,  I  was  disappointed 
to  find  that  it  was  a  cart  and  not  a  shay  as  I  had 
hoped.  And  moreover  it  was  already  full  of  coun- 
trified folk  seated  on  boards  set  from  side  to  side. 

Greatly  to  my  surprise  it  stopped  before  us  amid 
loud  "  whoas  "  and  gigglings. 

"  Step  up,  lasses,"  cried  a  rough  voice.  "  You'll 
miss  the  fun  else." 

"Fun?"  cried  Sophia,  lively  on  the  instant. 
"What  fun?  I've  been  on  the  search  for  fun  all 
day  and  have  found  naught  but  a  moral  discourse." 

To  my  amazement  she  mounted  nimbly  into  the 
cart  which,  save  for  the  driver  and  his  boy,  con- 
tained only  country  girls,  who  crowded  together  to 
make  room  for  us. 

'Where  are  you  going,  Sophia?"  I  demanded. 

"  Back  to  town,"  she  answered  briskly.  "  Come ! 
Hurry  now !  You'll  be  late  if  you  don't." 

Her  tone  implied  a  rebuke  for  me,  as  if  the  delay 
had  been  my  fault,  but  she  held  out  a  hand  to  help 
me  up  and  in  a  moment  I  had  joined  her  amid  the 
giggling  group. 

The  company  in  which  we  found  ourselves  were 
respectable,  honest  folk  enough,  who,  on  ordinary 
occasions,  were  little  like  to  interest  themselves  in 
anything  outside  their  own  hum-drum  lives;  but  on 
this  night  they  all  seemed  moved  by  a  great  excite- 
ment, the  cause  of  which  was  a  mystery  to  me. 
There  was  light  enough  to  see  Sophia's  eyes  brim 
full  of  mischief,  and  at  the  first  chance,  as  I  was 


148  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

jolted  against  her,  I  whispered  a  caution,  but  she 
paid  no  heed. 

"Now  tell  me.  What  is  the  fun  a-foot?"  she 
demanded  of  the  company  at  large. 

The  farmer  drew  in  his  horses  with  a  jerk. 

"  Be  ye  Tories?  "  he  queried  in  a  menacing  tone. 
"  If  so  ye  be, —  then  walk !  " 

"  Nay,"  I  hastened  to  tell  him,  for  I  know  not 
what  romance  Sophia's  fancy  might  prompt  her  to 
weave,  "  my  father  and  brother  are  both  out  for 
the  Cause." 

"  How  comes  it  then  that  ye  know  naught  of  the 
great  news?"  he  asked. 

"  What  news?  "  questioned  Sophia. 

"  Why  lass,  us  is  free !  "  he  cried.  "  Congress 
have  said  so.  'Twas  read  out  to-day  to  all  the 
troops." 

"  That  was  what  was  going  on  at  the  barracks," 
I  said  to  Sophia. 

"  Ay,  never  doubt  it,"  the  farmer  went  on. 
"  Us  is  free  to  do  as  us  likes  from  now  on.  Down 
with  kings  and  taxes,  say  I !  "  He  slapped  his 
horse  vigorously  to  emphasize  his  words,  and  we 
started  again. 

"  But  where  is  the  fun  to  come  in  ?  "  Sophia  in- 
sisted, never  losing  sight  of  her  main  interest. 

'  You  come  along  wi'  us,  little  missy,"  the  farmer 
answered  gleefully.  "  There'll  be  fine  Tory  rides 
and  big  fires  out  o'  Tory  trash  and  many  a  sight 
you'll  remember  all  your  lives." 

We  went  on  in  comparative  silence  until  at  last 
the  town  was  reached,  but  we  had  scarce  entered  it 
ere  'twas  plain  that  we  were  not  the  only  ones  on 
the  lookout  for  fun.  The  streets  were  thronged, 
bells  were  ringing,  and  fires  blazed  at  nigh  every 
corner.  We  drew  up  before  an  orator  upon  a 


Independency  149 

barrel  and  heard  the  British  given  a  fine  rating, 
while  each  fiery  sentence  was  interrupted  by  roars 
of  delight  from  all  within  hearing.  Similar  scenes 
were  being  enacted  in  every  part  of  the  city,  and 
from  each  vantage  point  our  ears  were  assailed  by 
hoarse  denunciations  of  the  King  and  his  Ministers. 
The  excitement  was  contagious.  I  felt  it  myself, 
and  Sophia  shouted  with  the  rest;  but  I  liked  it  not 
and  would  have  given  much  to  be  out  of  the  cart, 
which,  as  it  moved  slowly  forward,  became  more 
and  more  hemmed  in  by  the  ever-increasing  press. 

As  we  neared  our  house  I  rejoiced  that  we  would 
soon  be  set  down  and  presently  spoke  to  the  driver 
as  pleasantly  as  I  could,  for  though  of  a  rough  sort 
he  had  been  kind  to  us,  and  I  was  grateful  for  the 
lift. 

"  Thank  you  very  much  for  the  ride,"  I  began, 
raising  my  voice  so  that  it  might  be  heard  above  the 
uproar  around  us.  "  I  live  near  here  and  shall  be 
pleased  if  you  will  stop  a  minute  and  let  us  out." 

"  Why  lass,  you  haven't  seen  half  the  fun,"  he 
answered,  turning  toward  me,  and  in  the  light  of  a 
nearby  bonfire  he  had  his  first  good  look  at  me.  As 
his  eyes  met  mine  I  saw  the  expression  of  his  face 
turn  disagreeably.  "  By  gum !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I 
thought  I'd  seen  ye  afore  and  I  was  right.  You're 
the  Tory  Doctor's  gal.  That's  who  you  are. 
Well,  your  father  give  us  the  slip  along  o'  young 
Hamilton,  but  you  set  right  where  you  are,  missy  1  " 
And  he  clucked  to  the  horse. 

We  clattered  down  the  Broad  Way,  for  the  man 
now  seemed  determined  upon  some  course  of  action 
and  urged  his  horse,  keeping  out  of  the  crowds  as 
best  he  could,  until  finally,  nearing  the  lower  part  of 
the  city,  he  was  forced  to  bring  the  animal  to  a  walk 
because  of  the  jam  of  people  in  the,  streets  who 


150  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

closed  around  the  cart  in  a  compact  mass.  I  might 
have  jumped  out,  but  there  was  Sophia  to  consider, 
and  at  any  attempt  to  escape  the  farmer  would  be 
sure  to  raise  a  hue  and  cry  while  I  was  little  minded 
to  attract  attention  to  myself  in  that  throng. 

What  was  in  the  man's  mind  in  regard  to  me  I 
could  not  guess,  but  I  scarce  thought  he  meant  any 
harm.  He  probably  but  wanted  a  Tory  girl,  such 
as  he  believed  me  to  be,  to  have  her  fill  of  speeches 
levelled  at  the  British  and  that  was  no  great  hard- 
ship for  me.  So  my  chief  worry  was  not  for  myself. 
I  but  fretted  to  be  home,  where  some  emergency 
needing  my  attention  might  have  arisen. 

From  the  fragments  of  talk  I  caught  it  was  plain 
that  the  point  of  most  interest  was  at  the  Bowling 
Green;  but,  as  we  neared  it,  our  progress  became 
slower  and  slower  until  the  cart  was  finally  stopped. 

"  Take  the  reins,  Dick,"  said  the  farmer  to  his 
boy.  "  I'm  little  minded  to  let  this  Tory  gal  miss 
a  treat.  Her  and  me  be  goin'  forward  at  a  smarter 
pace." 

He  asked  not  my  leave  but  bundled  me  out  of  the 
cart  to  the  ground,  where  he  seized  my  arm  in  a 
firm  grasp  and  began  to  manoeuvre  me  through  the 
press  with  some  rapidity.  I  protested,  but  he 
heeded  not  my  words,  seeming  to  have  but  one  thing 
upon  his  mind,  which  I  doubt  not  was  incapable  of 
any  greater  effort. 

When  we  came  within  sight  of  the  statue  of  King 
George,  set  in  the  midst  of  the  Bowling  Green,  so 
great  was  the  throng  that  'twas  seemingly  impossible 
to  go  forward  even  on  foot.  But  my  man  was 
cleverer  than  I  thought,  for  he  raised  his  voice  and 
shouted  loudly,  "  Way  for  a  Royalist  lady !  One 
of  the  Gentleman's  friends  wants  to  bid  him  good- 
bye 1" 


Independency  151 

Though  I  had  no  notion  wherein  lay  the  magic 
of  these  words,  they  were  quickly  effective  for  mid 
much  good-natured  laughter,  evidently  at  my  ex- 
pense, the  crowd  squeezed  back  to  let  us  pass  until 
finally  we  stood  before  the  statue,  and  at  last  I  saw 
what  was  going  forward  with  such  excitement. 

From  all  sides  of  the  great  metal  horse  upon 
which  the  counterfeit  of  the  King  was  seated,  there 
were  stretched  ropes,  the  meaning  of  which  was 
all  too  plain.  The  "  Grateful  Subjects  "  who  had 
erected  the  statue  were  now  intent  upon  pulling  it 
down,  and  my  farmer,  thinking  to  cause  me  sorrow 
on  account  or  my  fancied  loyalty  to  the  Crown,  had 
brought  me  thither  to  witness  the  effigy's  destruction. 
The  futility  of  his  intention  made  me,  on  a  sudden, 
so  angry  that  I  wrenched  myself  free  of  his  grasp. 

"  You're  a  stupid,  stupid  man !  "  I  cried  scorn- 
fully. "  Is  it  for  this  that  you  have  brought  me  so 
far  out  of  my  way?  'Tis  fine  treatment  for  a  maid 
whose  father  and  brother  are  with  Mr.  Washing- 
ton's army.  My  mother  is  ill,  and  /  am  going 
home." 

For  a  moment  he  was  taken  a-back  at  my  vehem- 
ence, but  he  was  still  mastered  by  his  idea  that  I 
was  a  Tory,  and,  shaking  his  head  wisely,  he  grasped 
me  again  by  the  arm. 

"  Words  is  cheap,"  he  remarked  dryly. 
"  There's  those  as  say  your  father  joined  our  side 
because  t'other  wouldn't  have  him." 

"  And  silly  bumpkins  believe  all  they  hear,"  I  re- 
torted. "  If  naught  but  deeds  will  satisfy  you  give 
me  an  end  of  a  rope  and  I'll  help  to  overthrow  the 
King  with  a  right  good  will." 

There  had  been  more  than  one  interested  listener 
to  this  conversation  in  the  crowd  around  us  and, 
as  I  finished,  a  soldier,  of  whom  there  was  a  fair 


152  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

sprinkling  in  the  mob,  thrust  a  rope  into  my  hands 
while  he  addressed  the  man  at  my  side. 

"  She's  spoke  you  fair,  friend,"  he  laughed. 
"  Be  she  Whig  or  Tory  see  that  you  let  her  go  free 
when  all's  done.  There's  a  better  way  of  showing 
patriotism  for  a  great  oaf  like  you  than  by  bullying 
maids." 

Hardly  had  he  ceased  speaking  than  those  who 
held  the  ropes  began  heaving  and  I  pulled  with  the 
rest.  There  was  a  mighty  shouting  as  the  figure  be- 
gan to  give  to  the  steady  strain  and  soon,  with  a 
crash,  the  giant  statue  of  George  the  Third  fell  to 
the  ground.  Upon  the  mass  leaped  a  man  and,  at  a 
sign,  all  seemed  quiet  for  a  moment. 

"A  bad  King!"  he  shouted  at  the  top  of  his 
voice.  "  Let  us  hope  he  will  make  good  bullets!  " 

"  Ay,"  came  an  answering  shout.  "  He  should 
be  run  into  bullets  to  assimilate  with  the  brains  of 
the  enemy!  "  And  this  saying  seemed  to  find  great 
favour,  for  it  was  passed  from  lip  to  lip  amid  laugh- 
ter and  wise  shaking  of  heads. 

How  long  I  stood  gaping  there  I  knew  not,  but 
presently  the  soldier  who  had  taken  my  part  pushed 
through  the  crowd  and  handed  me  a  bit  of  metal. 

"  'Tis  one  of  the  statue's  buttons,  missy,"  he  ex- 
plained. "  'Twill  be  a  bullet  or  so  less  for  the 
British  but  'twill  make  a  fine  keepsake  for  a  maid 
who  has  had  a  hand  in  making  history.  Here's 
a  bit  of  the  rope,  too,"  he  added,  and  I  took  both 
with  interest.  Then  he  turned  gruffly  to  the  farmer. 
"  Now  see  to  it,  master,  that  the  maid  goes  free." 

"  Ay,  for  all  of  me,"  was  the  shamefaced  reply. 

"  But,  please,"  I  appealed  to  the  soldier,  "  he 
holds  a  friend  of  mine  in  his  cart  and  I  fear  to  trust 
him.  Won't  you  order  him  to  take  me  back  to  her 
and  then  let  us  go?  " 


Independency  153 

"  To  be  sure,"  he  replied  heartily,  "  and  to  make 
all  safe  I'll  set  you  on  the  road  myself." 

Thus  I  was  conducted  back  to  the  cart  in  some 
state,  for  the  soldier  insisted  that  the  farmer  keep  a 
pace  behind  me  while  he  walking  in  front,  cleared 
a  way  through  the  curious  gapers.  We  found 
Sophia,  still  standing  up  as  I  had  left  her,  clasping 
in  her  hand  mother's  pottle  of  fresh  fruit.  It  took 
but  a  moment  to  set  her  free,  to  thank  our  rescuer 
and  to  start  upon  our  homeward  journey. 

Sophia  was  slightly  ill  at  ease,  for  well  she  knew 
who  had  led  us  into  this  fix,  but  she  strove  to  carry 
it  off  with  a  show  of  gaiety.  She  no  longer  held 
back  when  I  urged  her  to  hurry,  "  for  after  all 
you've  moved  the  King  himself !  "  she  said. 

"  But  I  was  born  under  an  unlucky  star,"  she 
mourned  a  moment  later.  "  I  take  all  the  pains 
and  you  have  all  the  fun." 

"  I  see  no  fun  in  this  adventure,"  I  answered 
crossly. 

"  Nay,  but  you  will  to-morrow,"  she  insisted 
saucily.  "  You'll  have  something  to  brag  of  all 
your  life,  while  I  got  naught  but  a  stiff  neck  looking 
after  you  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd." 

But  I  was  annoyed  and  little  inclined  to  meet  her 
half-way. 

"  'Twas  through  you  that  I  nearly  got  into  se- 
rious difficulty,"  I  cried  indignantly,  "  and  now  I'll 
thank  you  not  to  mention  the  matter  to  any  one. 
I'm  vastly  mistaken  if  this  affair  is  likely  to  be  pop- 
ular with  the  authorities."  Which  indeed  was  the 
case,  for  General  Washington  himself  denounced 
the  act  publicly  the  next  day. 

We  reached  home  safely  to  find  that  mother  had 
been  wakened  by  the  noises  but  had  dozed  off  again 
upon  Betty's  assurance  that  I  was  with  Sophia,  and 


154  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

that  Mr.  Watts  was  probably  keeping  us  off  the 
streets  till  they  were  clear  of  the  mob.  So  no  harm 
was  done,  except  to  our  supper  which  was  dried  with 
waiting  over  the  fire. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

AFTER  THE   BATTLE 

SOME  few  days  after  Sophia's  visit  I  first  no- 
ticed a  change  for  the  better  in  mother's  con- 
dition. She  began  to  ask  searching  questions 
of  what  father  and  Will  were  doing  and  I  was  at 
first  inclined  to  avoid  answering  as  fully  as  I  might 
for  fear  of  giving  her  a  setback;  but  if  her  mind  had 
been  slightly  clouded  for  a  time  it  was  as  clear  as 
ever  now. 

"  'Twill  be  no  kindness,  Polly  dear,"  she  said 
gently,  "  to  keep  me  in  ignorance  of  the  true  state 
of  affairs.  I  should  imagine  matters  to  be  worse 
than  they  really  are." 

So  I  told  her  that  father  and  Will  were  now  sta- 
tioned on  Long  Island  whither  most  of  our  soldiers 
had  gone,  and  that  a  battle  was  expected  at  any  time. 
She  took  the  news  with  outward  calm  at  least,  and 
this  proved  to  me  that  she  was  indeed  gaining 
strength.  To  be  sure  it  would  be  many  weeks  ere 
she  could  leave  her  bed,  but  I  could  now  go  to  her 
with  my  perplexities  without  fear  of  doing  her  an 
injury;  and  this,  in  great  measure,  eased  the  strain 
of  my  responsibilities. 

During  July  and  well  into  the  next  month,  the 
city  was  in  a  tense  state  of  excitement.  Each  day  it 
was  expected  that  the  British  would  attack  the  town, 
but  none  knew  for  certain  from  which  direction  to 
look  for  the  danger.  The  great  fleet  of  war-vessels 
in  the  bay  might  land  an  army  anywhere,  so  that  our 

155 


156  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

forces  must  be  kept  in  readiness  to  defend  any  point 
the  enemy  should  select.  Most  of  our  troops,  how- 
ever, were  stationed  on  Long  Island,  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  expecting  that  there  would  be  the 
first  point  of  contact. 

Day  after  day  went  by  and  still  no  move  was 
made,  but  one  Wednesday  night  well  on  in  August, 
the  most  fearful  thunder-storm  passed  over  the  city. 
So  violent  was  it,  that  a  sense  of  foreboding  re- 
mained in  its  wake,  as  if  it  heralded  the  end  of 
our  anxious  waiting.  And  sure  enough,  in  the  morn- 
ing when  I  looked  out  of  the  window  I  was  sur- 
prised by  the  unusual  commotion.  People  of  all  con- 
ditions were  running  to  and  fro  calling  to  one  an- 
other anxiously  as  if  distraught.  Militiamen  hurried 
through  the  streets  toward  the  river,  while  wagons 
loaded  with  powder  and  ball  rattled  over  the  rough 
paving  in  the  same  direction. 

Not  a  little  alarmed  I  slipped  out  to  halt  the  first 
man  I  met  and  learned  the  news. 

"  The  British  have  landed  on  Long  Island,"  he 
told  me  breathlessly. 

"And  will  there  be  a  battle?"  I  asked,  my 
thoughts  flying  to  Will  and  father. 

"Ay,  there'll  be  a  battle,"  he  answered.  "No 
doubt  of  that,  missy.  It's  been  a  long  time  coming, 
but  'twill  be  no  less  bloody  on  that  account.  Were 
I  a  maid  I  would  seek  friends  outside  New  York." 

I  thanked  him  and  ran  back  into  the  house  where 
Betty  greeted  me  with  a  long  face  and  dismal  words. 

'  The  war  am  come,  honey,"  she  said  in  a  doleful 
voice. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  it  has  or  not,  Betty,"  I 
replied.  "  We've  had  so  many  false  alarms  lately, 
perhaps  this  is  another." 

"  Don't  you  fool  you'self,  Miss  Polly,"  she  in- 


After  the  Battle  157 

sisted  earnestly.  "  This  time  it  am  come  and  fo' 
years  and  years  people  will  remember  this  day. 
Listen  to  what  I's  tellin'  you,  fo'  I  knows,  'deed  I 
does.  Some  folks  says  there  ain't  no  second  sight, 
but  they's  wrong  'cause  I's  got  it,  and  I  tells  you, 
Miss  Polly,  I  sees  hundreds  killed  and  bleedin'  out 
in  the  battlefield,  some  with  their  — ." 

"Betty!"  I  cried  sharply,  "Stop  it  at  once!" 
for  she  was  working  herself  up  into  a  state  of  great 
excitement,  and  I  had  no  mind  to  have  my  feelings 
harrowed  by  all  the  imaginary  horrors  she  could 
invent. 

"  Come,  get  to  work,"  I  went  on,  for  it  was  only 
by  keeping  busy  that  I  could  put  away,  for  the  time 
being,  the  anxiety  I  felt  about  Will  and  father. 

It  was  not  until  the  following  Tuesday  that  the 
battle  was  really  fought  and  then  the  booming  of  the 
cannon  left  no  doubt  in  our  minds  of  what  was  going 
forward.  About  noon  this  ceased,  and  almost 
immediately  thereafter  we  were  assailed  with  wild 
and  distorted  rumours  of  what  had  happened. 

That  we  had  lost  the  engagement  was  soon  estab- 
lished, then  we  heard  that  another  conflict  was  im- 
minent, and  that  the  British  were  but  awaiting  their 
ships  to  come  up  and  bombard  the  town  ports  while 
they  cut  off  the  retreat  of  our  army.  No  doubt 
there  were  those  in  the  city  who  knew  exactly  what 
had  taken  place,  but  the  news  I  received  was  very 
uncertain.  All  I  was  sure  of  was  that  our  troops 
had  fared  badly  and  that  worse  might  soon  follow. 

But  what  had  happened  to  father  and  Will? 
That  question  tortured  me  while  I  tried  to  keep  a 
cheerful  countenance  before  poor  mother  who  fol- 
lowed me  with  her  eyes  whenever  I  entered  the 
room,  though  neither  of  us  ventured  to  discuss  the 
subject  in  both  our  minds. 


158  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Early  on  the  Friday  morning  following  the  battle 
I  was  awakened  by  unusual  noises  outside.  How 
can  I  describe  the  sight  that  met  my  gaze  as  I  looked 
from  the  window?  Below  me  a  large  part  of  our 
army  was  camped  in  the  streets  and  overflowing  into 
the  Common.  Hundreds  of  men  were  there,  wet 
through  by  the  rains,  so  exhausted  that  they  slept 
upon  the  bare  stones,  many  hatless  and  coatless, 
muddy  and  begrimed,  with  here  and  there  a  red- 
stained  bandage  bound  about  a  wound. 

"  Oh,  how  they  must  have  suffered  to  have  come 
to  this  pass,"  I  murmured  to  myself,  and  straightway 
my  thoughts  flew  to  those  I  loved  who  might  be  in 
like  case.  Were  they,  too,  suffering  as  were  these? 
Were  they,  too,  hungry,  worn  with  fatigue,  perhaps 
wounded?  I  dared  not  think  of  it. 

But  the  men  below  me  had  need  of  succour. 
'Twas  plain  they  were  half-starved.  So  rousing 
Betty  I  set  her  to  making  coffee,  of  which  we  still 
held  a  fair  store,  and  after  that  to  baking  biscuits. 
In  the  meantime  I  filled  a  basket  with  what  we  had 
ready  cooked  and  went  out  with  it  to  the  edge  of 
the  Common. 

My  heart  ached  to  see  the  eagerness  with  which 
the  poor  souls  caught  at  what  I  offered  them.  They 
cheered  me  for  a  brave  lass,  but  could  give  no 
answer  to  my  anxious  questions  about  Will  and 
father. 

My  first  supplies  lasted  but  for  a  moment  and  I 
went  back  again  for  more.  There  was  not  enough 
to  feed  them  all  and,  seeing  that  others  of  our  neigh- 
bours were  bringing  food,  I  confined  my  efforts  to 
providing  coffee,  taking  it  out  in  a  pail  as  large  as 
I  could  manage,  and  serving  it  out  by  the  cupful 
while  it  lasted,  then  going  back  for  more  until  each 
man  within  reach  had  been  supplied.  When  at  last 


After  the  Battle  159 

I  returned  to  my  household  duties  I  felt  that  in  help- 
ing these  poor  fellows  I  had  perchance  but  returned 
a  favour  done  my  brother  in  some  other  part  of  the 
city. 

Late  that  morning  father  came  to  us,  but  only  for 
a  few  moments.  He  had  so  many  sick  and  wounded 
to  care  for  that  he  had  scarce  time  to  eat  and  had 
not  slept  for  two  nights.  He  brought  the  welcome 
news  that  Will  had  come  through  the  battle  unhurt, 
but  warned  us  not  to  expect  to  see  him.  I  can't  ex- 
plain why  it  was  that  father's  brief  report  of  my 
brother  left  me  unsatisfied.  It  seemed  as  if  he  hid 
something,  yet  without  hesitation  he  repeated  his 
assurances  that  Will  was  safe,  and  I  had  to  content 
myself  with  that. 

He  told  us  briefly  of  the  retreat  from  Long  Island 
during  the  night.  How  General  Washington  had 
kept  the  matter  so  secret  that  the  various  regiments 
of  our  army  knew  naught  of  what  was  forward  until 
they  were  ordered  to  leave  their  camps,  where  the 
fires  still  burned,  and  march  directly  to  the  boats 
which  were  to  carry  them  across  the  river.  He  also 
had  a  word  of  high  praise  for  young  Mr.  Hamilton 
who  had  taken  an  active  part  in  safeguarding  the 
retreat,  and  spoke  with  much  enthusiasm  of  other 
young  officers  he  knew. 

I  asked  him  if  by  any  chance  he  had  heard  aught 
of  Roger  Delancy  but  he  shook  his  head,  and  my  dis- 
appointment must  have  been  plain  to  him. 

"  Nay,  Polly,"  he  said,  trying  to  hearten  me,  "  re- 
member '  no  news  is  good  news,'  and  unless  Roger 
were  taken  a  prisoner  we  should  hear  naught  of 
him." 

"  I'm  sure  that  he  is  dead,"  I  answered,  and 
though  he  tried  to  persuade  me  that  this  was  but  a 
foolish  notion,  I  still  clung  to  it. 


160  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

The  days  that  followed  were  filled  with  anxiety 
for  every  one.  It  was  expected  that  any  hour  of 
the  day  or  night  might  see  the  British  attack  upon 
the  city.  How  to  meet  it  was  discussed  by  the 
young  and  old  and  there  were  nigh  as  many  foolish 
plans  as  there  were  people  who  knew  naught  of  the 
business  they  debated  so  heatedly.  It  was,  however, 
seriously  proposed  to  deliberately  burn  the  city,  and 
so  destroy  a  fine  winter  quarters  for  the  enemy. 
This  would  have  been  vastly  harassing  for  us,  see- 
ing the  great  danger  of  moving  mother;  but  father, 
had  his  opinion  been  asked,  said  he  must  have  voted 
to  raze  the  town  for  the  good  of  the  Cause,  in  spite 
of  the  personal  hardship  it  would  entail.  It  was 
generally  understood  that  General  Washington 
favoured  this  heroic  means  of  hampering  the  enemy ; 
but  Congress  settled  the  matter  by  commanding  that, 
in  any  circumstances,  New  York  was  to  be  spared. 

However  many  precautions  were  taken  to  render 
their  prize  of  as  little  value  as  possible,  and  one  day 
a  loud  rat-tat-tat  on  the  front  door  brought  me  down 
stairs  in  a  jiffy  to  find  several  men  bent  upon  official 
business. 

"  We  have  come  for  your  knocker,  mistress,"  said 
the  leader,  and  already  one  of  them  was  taking  out 
the  screws. 

"Our  knocker?"  I  repeated,  wondering  at  so 
strange  a  request. 

"  Ay,"  he  made  answer,  "  that  and  all  other 
metals  —  pewter  porringers,  copper  kettles,  or  what 
not.  Everything  in  fact  that  you  expect  to  leave 
behind  you." 

"  But  what  for?  "  I  demanded. 

;<  To  keep  such  serviceable  materials  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,"  he  explained  "  Good  bullets 
may  be  made  of  such  things,  so  we  have  orders  to 


After  the  Battle  161 

take  all  we  find  and  send  them  to  Newark  across  the 
river." 

"But— "I  began. 

"  Nay,  you  will  have  pay  for  them,  and  the 
knocker  will  be  kept  for  you  an  you  so  specify,"  he 
interrupted,  thinking  it  was  for  that  I  would  protest. 
"  Everything  will  be  weighed  and  registered,  all  in 
proper  order,  and  a  receipt  given." 

"  Nay,  'tis  because  my  mother  is  ill  and  we  can- 
not leave  the  city,"  I  started  to  explain. 

"  Eh,  now,  that's  too  bad,"  he  interrupted,  "  yet 
if  you  stay  you  must  keep  naught  by  you  that  you 
have  not  use  for  daily.  The  British  are  wonderful 
robbers,  and  where  I  come  from  they  say  one  Hes- 
sian is  as  bad  as  ten  red-coats.  They  descend  upon 
the  country  like  a  swarm  of  locusts  and  leave  it 
stripped." 

It  took  but  a  little  thought  to  show  me  that  this 
might  easily  be  true  and,  seeing  that  there  were  many 
such  articles  that  could  be  spared,  I  sorted  them  out 
amid  Betty's  loud  protests.  After  duly  weighing 
them,  I  was  given  a  proper  receipt  and  the  men  took 
the  things  away. 

But  this  visit  brought  home  to  me  the  problem  of 
how  we  should  manage  if  indeed  the  British  came 
to  occupy  the  city,  and,  though  I  could  not  foresee 
all  that  might  happen,  certain  precautions  plainly 
must  be  taken.  To  this  end  I  gathered  together 
such  silver  and  trinkets  of  mother's  as  were  of  most 
value  and  hid  them  carefully.  Also  at  father's  sug- 
gestion, I  began  laying  in  a  store  of  food-stuffs  that 
would  not  perish,  for  provisions  were  like  to  become 
scarcer.  This  must  be  done  a  little  at  a  time,  so 
that  I  made  frequent  visits  to  the  markets  at  the 
waterfront,  buying  where  I  could,  for  the  farmers, 
Whig  or  Tory,  sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  be  he 


1 62  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

friend  or  foe,  and  I  had  need  to  keep  on  the  lookout 
for  bargains.  These  stores,  too,  I  hid,  against  the 
coming  of  the  enemy. 

Meanwhile  our  soldiers  had  set  up  a  camp  on  the 
Common  and  although  there  was  no  real  food  short- 
age I  took  it  upon  myself  to  go  every  morning  with 
a  basket  of  sweets  of  Betty's  baking  to  vary  the 
monotony  of  their  rough  fare.  There  was  not 
enough  to  give  to  more  than  a  few  of  the  soldiers 
on  any  one  day,  so  I  hit  upon  the  plan  of  visiting  a 
different  part  of  the  camp  upon  each  occasion. 

As  a  result  of  this  I  was  soon  known  to  all,  and 
their  hearty  greetings  made  the  whole  day  brighter 
for  me.  'Twas  these  men  who  bore  the  brunt  of 
the  hardships,  and  if  in  any  way  I  could  make  their 
lot  lighter  I  deemed  it  no  more  than  my  duty,  though 
indeed  it  was  a  pleasure  as  well. 

In  gratitude  they  had  given  me  a  name,  call- 
ing me  the  "  Coffee  gal,"  because  of  that  first  dread- 
ful day;  and  whenever  I  appeared  they  would  greet 
me  with  a  cheery  "  good-morning  "  and  pretend  to 
be  half  starved  when  I  passed  them  by.  We  had 
kindly  jokes  over  whose  turn  it  was  to  get  the  dain- 
ties, but  there  was  never  a  rough  word  and  the  "  cof- 
fee gal  "  might  come  and  go  as  she  pleased,  sure  of 
a  friendly  welcome. 

It  must  have  been  nigh  ten  days  after  the  battle 
that  I  was  taking  my  way  through  the  camp  as  usual 
when  my  attention  was  caught  by  the  raised  voices 
of  some  men  behind  me. 

"Who    are   you,    anyway?"    I   heard   one    say. 

'  You're    not    of    our    company.     That    I    know. 

What  are  you  doing  here,  with  your  soft  hands  and 

gentle  speech?     Tell  us  who  you  are  or  come  along 

to  the  Captain." 

"Ay,  Bill,  that's  the  talk,"  counselled  another. 


After  the  Battle  163 

"  He  don't  act  right  to  my  way  o'  thinkin'.     Off  to 
the  Captain  with  him." 

I  turned,  out  of  curiosity  only,  and  I  could  scarce 
believe  my  eyes  for  there  before  me,  dressed  as  a 
Continental  soldier,  stood  Roger  Delancy,  whom  I 
had  thought  of  as  dead. 


CHAPTER  XX 

POLLY  TAKES  A   PRISONER 

1WAS  so  close  to  Roger  and  so  surprised  and 
delighted  to  see  him,  that  I  was  about  to  cry 
his  name  when  he  looked  up  and  recognized  me. 
For  a  moment  his  eyes  widened  in  amazement  and 
then,  turning  his  head  aside  so  that  the  soldiers 
might  not  observe  him,  he  put  his  finger  to  his  lips 
and  signalled  silence. 

I  stood  as  if  stunned,  unable  to  comprehend  what 
this  portended,  but  understanding  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  be  known,  I  held  my  tongue  although  at  the 
moment  I  could  not  think  why  it  was  necessary. 
Then  like  a  flash  the  meaning  of  it  came  to  me. 
Roger  was  a  spy.  He  was  pretending  to  be  a  pa- 
triot, while  all  the  time  he  was  a  Loyalist  and  was 
there  to  discover  the  plans  of  our  army.  It  seemed 
impossible  to  believe,  yet  what  other  conclusion  was 
open  to  me?  He  was  going  about  among  our  poor 
soldiers,  disguised  as  one  of  them,  while  I  knew  him 
to  be  an  officer  in  the  British  army. 

My  first  desire  was  to  run  home  and  have  naught 
to  do  with  the  matter.  Then  the  thought  came  to 
me  that  I  was  a  good  Whig  and  unless  I  made  known 
the  fact  that  Roger  was  a  spy  I  would  be  as  guilty 
as  he;  but  how  could  I  denounce  him?  For  that 
would  be  the  same  thing  as  sending  him  to  his  death. 

As  I  stood  irresolute  one  of  the  soldiers  recog- 
nized me. 

"  Why  'tis  the  coffee  gal !  "  he  cried  good-na- 
164 


Polly  Takes  a  Prisoner 

turedly.  "  Good  morning,  lass.  Hast  a  pasty  for 
us?"  But  seeing  my  round-eyed  gaze  fixed  on 
Roger  he  added,  "  Know  ye  aught  of  this  one, 
missy?  We  thought  belike  he  was  a  sneaking 
Tory." 

"  Ay,  I  know  him,"  I  answered,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment there  was  silence,  while  all  three  men  looked 
at  me  and  Roger  paled  a  little,  for  he  could  in  no 
wise  tell  what  I  might  be  going  to  say.  Nor  for 
that  matter,  was  I  sure,  haying  thought  of  naught 
but  the  necessity  of  saving  him  from  the  gallows. 

"  And  what  might  be  his  name,  lass?  "  one  of  the 
men  asked. 

"  Roger,"  I  said,  unhesitatingly,  but  when  I  got 
that  far  I  stopped  perplexed  and  frightened,  for 
Delancy  was  a  name  known  throughout  the  Colonies 
for  uncompromising  Tories  and  to  have  spoke  it 
would  have  turned  their  suspicions  to  certainty.  My 
heart  sank  like  lead  and  then  bounded  up  again  with 
relief,  for  the  men,  noting  not  my  hesitation,  believed 
that  I  had  ended  all  I  had  to  say. 

"  Roger  is  a  good  Whig  name,"  said  one. 

"  No  better  in  the  land,"  spoke  the  other,  and 
I  saw  that  they  understood  Roger  to  be  his  family 
name  and  that  for  the  moment  I  was  out  of  that  dif- 
ficulty. Indeed  the  one  who  had  taken  the  leading 
part  in  the  controversy  removed  his  hand  from 
Roger's  shoulder,  seemingly  quite  satisfied. 

"  No  offence  intended,  comrade,"  he  cried  heart- 
ily. "  'Twas  but  a  precaution  while  these  pesky 
Tories  swarm  about.  The  maid  has  saved  thee  and 
us  the  bother  of  proving  thy  loyalty  to  the  cause. 
In  these  days  'tis  so  easy  to  make  an  oath  one  day 
and  break  it  the  next." 

"  Thanks,  Polly,"  said  Roger,  and  there  was  more 
meaning  in  his  looks  than  his  words  as  he  took  my 


1 66  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

limp  hand  and  pressed  it  warmly.  But  my  task  was 
by  no  means  completed,  for  although  these  men 
might  be  satisfied  that  Roger  was  all  that  he  seemed, 
I  knew  better;  and,  now  moreover  I  felt  responsible 
and  was  determined  that  he  should  not  stay  there 
to  spy  upon  our  army. 

But  first  the  distribution  of  my  provender  must 
be  gone  through  with.  There  was  some  playful 
bantering,  with  threats  to  take  the  basket  from  me 
then  and  there,  and  I,  feigning  fear,  opened  the  lid 
and  portioned  out  its  contents  on  the  spot. 

"  Come,  Mr.  Roger,"  I  said,  making  a  show  of 
gaiety  which  I  was  far  from  feeling,  an  you  will 
carry  the  basket,  mayhap  we  can  find  more  goodies 
to  fill  it  again." 

The  others  hailed  this  suggestion  with  delight,  in- 
sisting that  Roger  should  accompany  me  forthwith, 
and,  like  the  silly,  ignorant  yokels  that  they  were, 
making  broad  hints  that  we  were  sweethearts.  This 
brought  a  blush  to  my  cheek,  which  they  took  as  a 
confirmation  of  their  stupid  suggestion.  After 
which  Roger's  loyalty  was  firmly  established  in  their 
minds  and  they  let  us  go  off  together  without  the 
least  suspicion  of  the  real  state  of  affairs. 

We  spoke  no  word  until  we  reached  the  door  of 
the  house  and  there  Roger  stopped. 

"  I  cannot  go  in,"  he  said  stubbornly. 

"  You  must !  "  I  insisted,  in  an  anguish  of  suspense 
for  his  safety. 

"  Nay,  Polly,  I  cannot,"  he  answered,  shaking  his 
head  positively. 

For  a  moment  I  knew  not  what  to  do,  then  like 
a  flash  there  came  a  solution  of  my  difficulty. 

"  Roger,"  I  began,  "  you  have  no  choice  in  the 
matter.  You  are  a  British  officer  dressed  as  a  Con- 


Polly  Takes  a  Prisoner  167 

tinental  soldier.  I  order  you  into  the  house.  You 
are  my  prisoner." 

For  a  moment  he  looked  at  me  with  a  queer  little 
smile  on  his  face,  then,  with  a  shrug  of  his  big,  broad 
shoulders,  he  went  in  and  I  followed. 

Once  inside  the  door  he  grasped  my  hand  again. 

"  Polly,  dear,"  he  cried,  "  you  have  saved  my  lifel 
Had  you  not  come  up  as  you  did  I  should  have  been 
lost.  I  can  hardly  find  words  to  tell  you  of  my 
thanks." 

"  Nay,"  I  answered,  withdrawing  my  hand,  "  I 
want  no  thanks." 

For  now  that  the  immediate  danger  was  over  my 
anger  at  Roger's  spying  on  our  troops  rose  again. 
Nor  was  I  sure  my  own  part  in  the  affair  was  that 
of  a  true  patriot,  though  come  what  might,  I  could 
not  see  him  led  off  to  be  hanged. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Polly?"  he  asked  gently. 
"  Have  you  saved  my  life  only  to  refuse  my 
thanks?" 

"  Think  you  I  want  thanks  from  a  spy?  "*I  asked, 
bitterly  enough. 

"Spy?"  he  echoed.  "And  you  thought  that, 
too?" 

"  How  could  I  think  otherwise?  "  I  burst  out. 

"  Nevertheless  you  are  wrong,  Polly.  But  none 
could  blame  you  on  that  account,"  he  added  with 
a  smile.  "  I  am  not  a  spy!  "  He  went  on,  and  my 
heart  grew  lighter  at  this  assurance.  "  The  fact  is 
that  in  the  fight  on  Long  Island  I  had  a  horse  killed 
under  me  and  was  stunned  by  the  fall.  When  I 
came  to  my  senses  I  found  it  impossible  to  rejoin  my 
regiment  for  I  was  surrounded  by  Continental  sol- 
diers. Had  I  been  right  in  my  head  I  would  have 
seen  that  my  best  course  was  to  give  myself  up  at 


1 68  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

once,  but  this  never  occurred  to  me.  I  wanted  to 
avoid  capture  in  any  way  I  could." 

"  Ay,  being  a  Delancy,"  I  put  in  rather  disagree- 
ably, for  I  was  not  yet  wholly  convinced. 

"  Nay,  an  I  had  been  of  the  house  of  Hanover 
itself  I  should  have  been  naught  but  a  prisoner  of 
war,"  Roger  explained.  "  But  ere  I  had  time  to 
resolve  the  matter  I  was  caught  up  in  a  rush  of  Pro- 
vincials, and  I  thought  of  course  to  be  captured. 
However,  these  fellows  were  backwoodsmen  and 
took  me  for  one  of  your  dandy  Marylanders,  whose 
regimentals  are  not  unlike  some  of  ours.  Now  this 
mistake  put  an  idea  into  my  head." 

"  'Tis  easy  to  see  how  those  men  were  mistaken," 
I  commented.  "  But  the  Marylanders  would  have 
known  otherwise." 

"  Ay,  that's  true  enough,"  Roger  agreed,  "  but 
I  had  no  intention  of  going  near  the  Marylanders. 
I  had  but  two  paths  open  to  me.  Either  to  give  my- 
self up,  or  to  make  my  escape  if  I  could." 

"  But  that  does  not  explain  this  uniform,  Roger," 
I  insisted. 

"  Yes,  it  does,"  he  continued.  "  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  escape,  and  changed  clothes  with  a  poor  fel- 
low lying  near  me  who  would  have  no  more  use  for 
his.  I  mingled  with  your  soldiers,  thinking  that 
chance  would  let  me  escape  to  our  own  lines,  but  that 
opportunity  never  came.  I  was  brought  over  the 
river  with  the  others  and  I  should  have  gotten  away 
in  a  day  or  so,  but  that  I  was  hurt  more  than  I 
thought  and  fainted  like  a  baby  on  the  door-step  of 
a  good  woman's  house,  not  a  block  from  here." 

"  Roger!  "  I  exclaimed,  "  were  you  as  badly  hurt 
as  that?  " 

"  Nay,  'twas  but  a  shaking  up,"  he  insisted,  mak- 
ing light  of  it,  "  but  when  I  was  well  enough  to  go, 


Polly  Takes  a  Prisoner  169 

why  there  were  your  men  ready  to  pick  me  up  the 
minute  I  put  my  nose  out  of  the  door." 

"  And  so  you  have  been  staying  within  a  block 
of  this  house  all  these  days,"  I  said,  "  and  I  never 
knew  it!  "  I  added  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  But  Polly,  I  could  not  send  you  word,"  he  pro- 
tested. "  The  woman  took  excellent  care  of  me,  but 
when  I  was  quite  well  and  still  stayed  on,  she  grew 
suspicious.  I  put  her  off  with  one  excuse  and  an- 
other, hoping  that  the  city  would  change  hands  and 
I  could  get  back  to  my  regiment;  but  this  morning 
she  told  me  I  was  either  a  shirker  or  a  spy,  and  I 
was  forced  to  show  myself.  I  was  almost  taken. 
Had  you  not  come  along  as  you  did,  well  — "  he 
shrugged,  "  I  should  have  had  hard  work  to  con- 
vince any  of  your  officers  that  my  tale  was  not  false. 
You  know  me  well  enough  to  believe  me  when  I  tell 
you  it  is  naught  but  the  truth." 

I  did  believe  him  at  last,  for  there  was  no  doubt- 
ing his  earnestness  and  beside,  when  all  was  said  and 
done,  Roger  was  not  the  kind  to  make  up  such  a 
story. 

"  I'm  glad  you  aren't  a  spy,"  I  told  him.  "  Now 
I  can  help  you  to  get  away  with  an  easy  conscience. 
Only  —  only  —  oh,  Roger,  why  can't  you  be  one  of 
us?  It's  your  country  as  much  as  it  is  Will's  or 
mine  — ." 

"  I'd  do  anything  else  for  you,  Polly,"  he  an- 
swered, "  but  you  wouldn't  have  me  a  turn- 
coat?" 

"  Nay,  if  you  can't  find  it  in  your  heart  to  change 
you  must  go  your  own  way,"  I  replied  with  a  sigh. 
"  You  will  have  to  stay  here  till  after  dark.  Then 
perchance  you  can  escape  without  any  one  seeing 
you." 

"  Ay,  perchance,"  he  answered,  with  one  of  his 


170  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

old  boyish  smiles.  "  At  any  rate  I'm  your  prisoner, 
Captain  Polly,  and  must  e'en  do  as  you  tell  me.  But 
'twill  be  short  shrift  an  I  am  taken.  And  I  for 
one  could  not  blame  your  officers.  'Twas  a  foolish 
thing  to  try  but  — " 

"  Roger,  I  can't  have  you  taken,"  I  burst  out. 
"  I'd  rather  keep  you  here  till  — " 

I  stopped  short,  for  at  that  moment  we  heard 
some  one  running  up  the  steps.  We  looked  at  each 
other  in  consternation,  then  going  to  the  window  I 
peeped  out  and  saw  father  waiting  for  the  door  to 
open.  Without  a  thought  I  started  off  to  welcome 
him,  but  Roger  stayed  me. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  he  asked  in  an  undertone. 

"  'Tis  only  father,"  I  answered,  and  would  have 
sped  on,  but  he  grasped  my  arm  and  held  it. 

"  Wait,"  he  whispered,  "  you  must  hide  me  some- 
where." 

"  Nay,  that  is  not  necessary,"  I  replied  impa- 
tiently. "  'Tis  only  father,  and  he  would  never  be- 
tray you." 

"  He  would  do  that  very  thing,"  Roger  insisted, 
"  and  so  would  I,  were  I  in  his  place.  'Twould  be 
a  duty.  You  must  hide  me  somewhere,  or  your 
rescue  on  the  Common  will  go  for  naught." 

As  he  spoke  there  came  another  rap  at  the  door, 
and  I  knew  not  which  way  to  turn,  for  where,  in  that 
house,  could  I  conceal  Roger  from  my  father? 

"  Go  up  to  Will's  room,"  I  whispered.  "  He's 
not  apt  to  go  there,  and  I'll  tell  you  when  it  is  safe 
for  you  to  come  down."  And  without  another  word 
Roger  bounded  upstairs  and  out  of  sight,  while  I 
hastened  to  the  door. 

It  seems  as  if  all  this  must  have  taken  a  long  time, 
but  in  reality  it  was  only  a  moment  for  even  stupid 
thoughts  can  travel  faster  than  the  cleverest  pen. 


Polly  Takes  a  Prisoner  171 

"  How  is  your  mother?  "  father  asked  anxiously, 
after  he  had  kissed  me. 

"  She  is  just  the  same,"  I  answered,  and  I  expected 
that  he  would  hurry  to  her  immediately,  but  in  this 
I  was  mistaken  for  instead  he  led  me  into  the  sur- 
gery. 

Sitting  down  heavily  as  if  he  were  very  tired,  he 
motioned  me  to  another  chair  and  as  I  looked  at  him 
more  closely  I  saw  that  his  face  was  set  with  anxiety. 

"What's  the  matter,  father?"  I  asked,  for  his 
bearing  was  that  of  an  exhausted  and  dejected  man. 

"  'Tis  about  Will,"  he  answered,  half  to  himself. 
"  I'm  at  my  wit's  end  to  know  what  to  do." 

"Where  is  he?"  I  questioned,  tremulously,  for 
I  saw  by  father's  manner  that  my  brother  was  in 
some  peril. 

"  He's  hiding  in  the  house  of  Anthony  Lamb,  the 
mathematical-instrument  maker  on  the  river-front 
near  the  Fly  Market,"  father  answered.  "  Word 
was  brought  to  me  that  he  was  wounded  and  could 
go  no  further.  I  fear  he  will  be  taken,  and  at  best 
he  is  without  food  and  hurt.  I  know  not  what  to 
do,"  and  he  patted  his  hands  together,  a  way  he  had 
when  he  was  much  disturbed. 

"  Cannot  you  go  to  him?  "  I  asked  in  surprise. 

"  I  dare  not,"  father  replied.  "  Not  for  my  own 
sake,  but  for  his.  The  lower  end  of  the  city  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  British,  or  rather  the  Tories,  for 
their  troops  have  not  come  over  yet,  though  they 
may  at  any  moment." 

"  But  why  did  not  Will  go  away  with  the 
others?  "  I  demanded. 

"  Because  he  was  not  with  the  others,"  father  ex- 
plained. "  He  was  off  by  himself  gathering  in- 
formation, and  he  has  that  on  him  that  will  hang 
him  if  he  falls  into  the  hands  of  the  British." 


172  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

'  You  mean  he  is  a  spy?  "  I  gasped. 
'  That's  the  name  the  British  will  give  it,  and 
'twill  go  hard  with  Will  if  he  comes  into  their  hands. 
Oh,  what  can  I  do,  what  can  I  do?  " 

He  rose  to  his  feet  and  began  pacing  the  floor  with 
nervous  steps. 

"And  who  is  to  tell  his  mother?"  he  burst  out 
after  a  moment.  "And  how  is  he  to  be  fed? 
And  —  and  — "  He  stopped  abruptly  and  tried  to 
calm  himself.  "  You  see,  Polly,  my  girl,  I  can't  go 
myself,  for  I  am  so  well  known  that  my  movements 
would  surely  be  followed,  and  I  would  but  lead  the 
Tories  to  his  hiding-place.  I'm  in  a  cleft  stick  and 
know  not  how  to  help  myself. 

"Why  can't  I  go?"  I  suggested,  the  thought 
popping  into  my  head. 

"  Nonsense,  child,"  he  answered  shortly.  "  'Tis 
work  for  men,  not  maids." 

"  All  the  better  for  that,"  I  persisted,  the  notion 
having  seized  hold  of  me.  "  I  can  at  least  take  food 
to  Will  without  raising  the  suspicion  a  man  might. 
'Twill  be  easy  to  pretend  I  am  marketing,  for  in 
truth  I  wish  to  lay  in  fresh  stores  and  so  can  win  my 
way  to  him.  Surely,  father,  we  cannot  sit  and  do 
naught.  Some  one  must  go  and  it  seems  to  me  it 
were  best  if  it  were  I,  for  the  Tories  will  scarce  harm 
a  maid  even  if  they  stop  me." 

I  pleaded  as  earnestly  as  I  could,  and  as  I  talked 
I  saw  that  my  words  carried  weight  with  father,  who, 
though  he  muttered  to  himself  and  shook  his  head  as 
if  he  saw  no  value  in  my  arguments,  was  still  becom- 
ing persuaded  in  spite  of  himself. 

"  And  what  of  your  mother?  "  he  asked. 

"  We  can  tell  her  I  go  a-marketing,"  I  answered. 

"  Ay,  so  we  can,"  he  agreed. 

I  saw  that  the  matter  was  settled  and  jumped  to 


Polly  Takes  a  Prisoner  173 

my  feet  to  make  ready,  for  there  was  no  time  to  lose. 
Every  hour  brought  our  enemies  nearer  and  if  Will 
was  to  be  saved  it  would  have  to  be  done  promptly. 

I  put  on  a  wide  bonnet  so  that  my  face  might  be 
hidden  as  much  as  possible  within  the  hood,  placed 
supplies  in  a  covered  basket,  and  started  for  the 
surgery  to  have  a  final  word  with  father.  'Twas 
then  that  I  remembered  Roger  up  in  Will's  room  and 
stopped,  bewildered  at  the  complexities  of  my  af- 
fairs. 

But  there  was  small  use  of  puzzling  long.  Roger 
must  e'en  stay  where  he  was,  for  he  couldn't  escape 
while  father  was  in  the  house,  but  he  must  be  warned 
to  lay  close  till  I  returned. 

I  went  back  to  the  kitchen  where  I  could  find 
naught  more  in  the  way  of  eatables  save  a  box  of 
hard  biscuits.  With  these  and  a  pitcher  of  water  I 
hurried  upstairs. 

Roger  was  for  talking  lightly  over  the  matter,  but 
I  cut  him  short. 

"  I  have  no  time  to  waste  in  words,"  I  interrupted. 
"  Father  will  be  in  the  house  for  some  hours,  and  I 
am  going  out.  Stay  you  here,  therefor,  till  I  come 
for  you.  Otherwise  you  will  be  taken."  And  not 
waiting  to  listen  to  his  thanks  I  ran  down  again  and, 
picking  up  my  basket,  found  father  awaiting  me. 

"  Mark  well  the  place,"  he  began,  for  once  he  had 
reconciled  himself  to  my  going  he  wished  to  hasten 
my  departure.  "  'Tis  the  shop  of  Anthony  Lamb,  as 
I  told  you.  You  cannot  miss  it,  for  it  is  nigh  the  old 
slip  by  the  Fly  Market.  The  sign  is  a  Quadrant 
and  Compass.  Your  brother  is  in  one  of  the  rooms 
upstairs.  Go  you  in  boldly  by  the  door  at  the  side 
of  the  shop,  where  you  will  find  steps  leading  to  the 
floor  above.  Anthony  Lamb  is  gone  and  the  shop 
is  shut.  'Twere  best  that  you  take  your  way  down 


174  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Maiden  Lane  and  loiter  about  the  markets  so  as  to 
divert  suspicion  from  your  real  errand.  Now  go." 
As  he  talked  he  had  put  bandages  and  other  need- 
ful things  in  my  basket  so  that  Will's  wound  might  be 
dressed,  and  with  a  word  or  two  of  good  wishes  he 
kissed  me  and  I  set  forth  hopefully,  glad  of  a  chance 
to  do  anything  to  lessen  my  brother's  peril. 


TRAPPED 

ONCE  started  on  my  errand  to  find  Will  I  de- 
layed not,  but  went  off  down  the  Broad  Way 
at  as  brisk  a  pace  as  might  be  without  attract- 
ing too  much  attention. 

The  nearer  I  came  to  the  river  the  more  deserted 
I  found  the  streets.  On  the  way  I  passed  many 
people  but  they  were  all  headed  toward  the  country. 
There  were  a  few  curious  glances  cast  toward  me, 
but  those  who  were  fleeing  the  town  were  too  anxious 
for  their  own  safety  to  take  count  of  the  doings  of 
one  lone  maid,  and  I  was  glad  to  note  that  there  was 
no  turning  to  look  after  me. 

As  I  came  out  of  Maiden  Lane  and  walked  to- 
ward the  fort,  a  few  market  people,  talking  anxiously 
together,  were  all  the  population  of  that  usually 
thronged  quarter.  None  stopped  me  to  cry  their 
wares  or  to  tempt  me  with  vegetables,  fruit  and 
game  brought  from  the  country;  and,  although  I 
insisted  on  making  a  purchase  or  two  for  appear- 
ance sake,  naught  was  being  done  in  the  way  of  busi- 
ness but  instead  those  who  were  there  looked  out 
across  the  river  wondering,  I  doubt  not,  what  the 
British  soldiers  would  do,  and  how  soon  they  would 
be  in  command  of  the  city. 

Now  and  then  I  saw  a  man  hurrying  furtively 
along  in  the  direction  of  the  fort,  looking  nervously 
this  way  and  that  as  if  fearful  of  being  seen.  And 

i75 


176  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

again  there  were  others  who  took  to  boats  and  rowed 
hard  for  the  Brooklyn  shore,  but,  so  far  as  I  could 
tell,  no  one  paid  the  slightest  heed  to  me  and,  though 
I  curbed  my  impatience  and  walked  slowly  toward 
the  old  slip,  I  thought  it  a  useless  precaution. 

I  came  at  last  to  the  shop  of  Anthony  Lamb,  "  At 
the  Sign  of  the  Quadrant  and  Surveying  Compass  " 
and  glanced  at  the  long  list  of  instruments  he  made. 
"  Quadrants,  Forestaffs,  Nocturnals,  Rectifiers," 
and  so  on,  an  endless  number  of  things  the  very  uses 
of  which  I  had  no  idea  of;  but  I  had  read  enough  to 
be  certain  of  the  house. 

With  a  glance  around  to  make  sure  that  I  was 
unobserved,  I  opened  the  little  door  at  the  side  and 
mounted  the  stairs  leading  to  the  upper  floor. 

Within  all  was  as  still  as  death  and,  although  I 
tiptoed  up  the  narrow  staircase,  even  the  slight  sound 
I  made  seemed  to  echo  about  me.  On  the  landing 
a  hallway,  into  which  opened  several  doors,  turned 
at  right  angles,  and  it  was  now  my  task  to  find  the 
room  where  Will  was  lying,  for  father  did  not  have 
that  particular  information. 

The  first  door  gave  into  a  chamber  at  the  back,  and 
I  looked  into  it  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  it  was 
well  furnished.  It  had  the  appearance  of  having 
been  recently  occupied  so  that  I  judged  that  those 
who  had  lived  there  had  gone  away  in  a  panic,  leav- 
ing all  their  goods  behind.  But  Will  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen,  and  I  passed  on  to  another  door  which  led 
into  the  room  over  the  shop. 

I  laid  my  hand  on  the  latch  to  lift  it  and,  as  I 
did  so,  I  heard  the  grating  of  a  sword  being  with- 
drawn from  its  scabbard.  Some  one  was  there,  and 
I  gave  the  door  a  push  and  entered. 

At  first  I  could  see  little,  for  the  blinds  had  been 
drawn  and  it  was  very  dark,  but  presently  in  a  corner 


With  a  glance  about  me  to  make  sure  I  was  unobserved. 


Trapped  177 

of  the  room,  sitting  on  the  floor  propped  against 
the  wall,  I  made  out  the  drooping  figure  of  a  man, 
and  in  his  hand  was  a  naked  sword.  It  was  Will, 
and  with  a  cry  of  anxiety  I  spoke  his  name. 

"  Is  it  you,  Polly?  "  he  asked  in  a  weak  voice,  drop- 
ping his  weapon.  "  Faith,  I'm  glad  to  see  you.  I 
was  expecting  less  welcome  visitors,  and  I  hadn't  the 
strength  to  bar  the  door.  What  have  you  in  that 
basket?  Give  it  to  me  for  I  am  nigh  starved, 
and,  like  a  famished  wolf,  I  can  smell  the  food  in 
it." 

I  hurried  to  him  and  he  was  soon  munching  the 
cold  meat  and  bread  I  had  brought  him.  I  found 
some  water,  drawn  from  a  little  well  in  the  garden  in 
the  rear  of  the  house,  and  he  began  to  strengthen 
visibly. 

"  Polly,  you've  made  a  new  man  of  your  brother !  " 
he  exclaimed,  "  and  when  I  bandage  this  leg  of  mine 
I'll  be  as  good  as  ever  I  was.  We  must  get  out  of 
this,  for  I  have  information  which  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  General  Washington  now." 

I  helped  him  with  the  wound  in  his  leg  which, 
though  not  dangerous,  was  painful  and  had  lost  him 
much  blood;  but  when  it  had  been  washed  and  ban- 
daged he  stood  up  and,  though  he  swayed  from  weak- 
ness, he  vowed  he  was  as  strong  as  need  be. 

"  We  can't  tarry  here,"  he  insisted.  "  The  Brit- 
ish may  be  flocking  over  from  the  other  side  at  any 
minute,  and  then  our  chance  will  be  lost." 

He  started  toward  the  door,  but  I  saw  him  reel 
and  clutch  at  the  wall  to  save  himself  from  falling 
and  I  ran  to  him,  putting  my  arms  about  him  to  hold 
him  up. 

"  Humph !  "  he  grunted.  "  Here's  a  pretty  kettle 
of  fish!  I'm  giddy  in  my  head  and  as  weak  as  a 
baby." 


178  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Sit  down  and  rest,"  I  urged.  "  Gather  some 
strength  against  our  going." 

He  took  my  advice,  seating  himself  on  the  floor, 
and  as  he  did  so  he  closed  his  eyes  wearily,  letting 
his  head  fall  against  the  wall,  which  showed  me  that 
he  was  indeed  very  weak  so  that  I  felt  alarmed  for 
his  chance  of  escape. 

He  sat  quiet  for  ten  minutes  perhaps,  and  then 
opened  his  eyes  and  looked  at  me. 

11  Polly,"  he  said,  "  you  must  leave  me  here  and 
get  my  despatches  to  the  General." 

"  Nay,  I  shall  do  naught  of  the  kind,"  I  returned. 
"  You'll  be  better  in  a  little  and  I  will  help  you  home. 
There  are  none  to  stop  you,  I  think.  At  least*  I  saw 
none,  and  I'm  sure  father's  fears  were  unfounded." 

"  Nay,  'twill  not  be  so  easy  as  that,"  Will  an- 
swered. "  You  may  not  have  seen  them,  but  I'll 
warrant  there's  a  Tory  at  every  corner  who  would 
like  nothing  better  than  to  prove  his  loyalty  to  the 
King  by  giving  up  a  Continental  soldier.  They 
would  not  bother  a  dozen  or  so  together,  but  one 
man  will  have  small  chance  with  them.  Nay,  I  can- 
not hope  to  get  away  in  the  daylight,  but  by  night 
I'll  be  safe  enough.  In  the  meantime  take  my  papers 
and  give  them  to  father.  He  will  know  what  to  do 
with  them."  And  Will  drew  a  small  packet  out  of 
his  shirt  and  handed  it  to  me. 

I  protested  against  leaving  him,  but  he  insisted, 
saying  that  under  any  circumstances  he  would  be 
better  off  with  the  papers  out  of  his  possession. 
Then  if  worst  came  to  worst,  he  would  only  be 
taken  as  a  soldier,  whereas,  should  they  find  the 
papers,  he  would  be  hanged  without  a  doubt. 

This  last  argument  decided  me  and  I  consented 
to  go,  though  I  was  loth  to  leave  him. 

I  fixed  him  as  comfortably  as  I  could,  fetched  an- 


Trapped  179 

other  pitcher  of  water  and  was  about  to  say  good- 
bye when  he  raised  his  hand  for  silence. 

I  held  my  breath  and  there  came  to  us  distinctly 
the  sound  of  some  one  ascending  the  stairs  with  cau- 
tion. Weak  as  he  was  Will  went  to  the  door  and 
silently  shot  the  bolt;  then,  leaning  against  the  door- 
jamb,  he  waited  with  his  naked  sword  in  his  hand, 
while  I  cowered  in  a  corner  and  hid  my  face. 

How  long  we  remained  silent  to  catch  the  noise  of 
that  shuffling  footfall  in  the  deserted  house  I  know 
not,  but  it  seemed  an  eternity. 

We  heard  the  man  mount  to  the  top  of  the  stairs 
where  he  paused  for  a  moment  and  then  moved 
stealthily  in  our  direction.  He  stopped  frequently, 
as  if  listening,  then  again  he  would  draw  nearer  and 
I  thought  he  might  have  heard  my  heart  so  loud 
was  its  beating. 

He  opened  a  door  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
hall,  and  there  was  no  further  sound  from  him  for 
so  long  a  time  that  I  hoped  he  had  gone  away,  but 
again  the  slow,  shuffling  of  feet  drew  nearer  to  us. 

I  took  my  hands  from  my  face  and  looked  at 
Will.  He  stood  rigid,  one  hand  braced  against  the 
doorway  and  in  the  other  his  sword,  ready  as  I 
knew  to  fight  till  the  last. 

The  intruder  reached  the  entrance  to  our  room 
and  the  latch  was  lifted.  The  click,  though  slight 
enough,  seemed  to  boom  in  my  ears  while  I  waited 
for  what  was  next  to  come.  There  was  .a  little 
push,  then  a  harder  one  and  then  —  silence.  Evi- 
dently the  man  debated  within  himself  whether  or 
not  to  force  an  entrance,  and  I  held  every  muscle 
tense,  fearful  of  making  a  sound  that  would  betray 
our  presence.  'Twas  a  curious  situation  and  I 
couldn't  help  wondering  if  the  man  outside  had  any 
inkling  of  what  was  within. 


i8o  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Again,  after  what  seemed  like  an  hour,  the  door 
was  shaken  rather  violently  and  I  thought  that  surely 
the  time  for  action  was  coming,  but  suddenly  the 
latch  was  released  and  we  heard  the  footsteps  move 
off,  and  finally  the  sound  of  the  outer  door  closing 
quietly  told  us  that  our  mysterious  visitor  had  de- 
parted. 

I  was  brought  to  my  senses  by  seeing  Will  slide 
gently  to  the  floor,  his  sword  clattering  a  little 
as  it  dropped  from  his  hand,  and  running  to  him  I 
found  that  he  had  fainted  from  the  fatigue  of  stand- 
ing. 

Wetting  a  napkin  I  bathed  his  temples  and  fore- 
head, and  at  length  he  opened  his  eyes  and  smiled  a 
weak  little  smile ;  but  he  was  too  much  exhausted  to 
do  aught  else,  so  I  whispered  to  him  not  to  speak  and 
sat  for  a  while  longer  pillowing  his  head  in  my  lap 
while  he  slowly  gained  strength. 

"  'Tis  a  great  calf  of  a  brother  you  have,  Polly," 
he  murmured  at  length.  "  Sure  I'm  as  weak  as  a 
kitten." 

"  You've  lost  much  blood,"  I  told  him.  "  You 
must  stay  quiet.  Do  not  tax  your  strength." 

"  But  the  papers,  Polly?  "  he  muttered.  "  They 
must  be  despatched  at  once.  Go  now,  and  never 
mind  me.  You've  brought  food  enough  for  a  day  or 
two,  and  by  that  time  I  will  be  able  to  take  care  of 
myself.  Get  you  gone  with  the  despatches,  for  I 
wish  not  that  all  my  work  should  be  wasted." 

"  I  care  naught  for  that,"  I  answered.  "  Were 
it  not  that  they  are  a  danger  to  you  I  would  never 
step  from  here  without  you." 

"  Nay,  Polly,"  he  retorted,  "what  is  one  man's 
life  when  there  is  a  whole  country  to  be  saved?  I'm 
not  anxious  to  die,  but  I  would  die  willingly  if  it 
would  put  those  papers  in  the  General's  hands." 


Trapped  i 8 i 

From  this  I  saw  that  he  attached  a  vast  impor- 
tance to  the  documents  and  in  a  little  I  decided  that 
it  might  be  wise  to  leave  him  as  he  improved  rapidly 
and  gave  no  sign  of  fainting  again. 

But,  ere  I  went,  I  thought  I  would  take  a  peep 
out  of  the  window  to  see  whether  or  not  my  way 
was  clear. 

I  peered  cautiously  through  the  blinds  and  was 
glad  to  discover  that,  save  for  a  man  on  the  other  side 
of  the  street,  no  one  was  in  sight.  This  man  I 
thought  little  of  at  first,  for  he  had  his  back  to  me 
and  was  looking  across  the  water.  I  was  sure  I 
could  slip  away  without  attracting  his  attention  and 
was  about  to  leave  the  window  when  I  caught  a 
bright  flash  of  light  in  his  hand,  as  he  shifted  from 
one  foot  to  the  other.  This  brought  my  attention 
more  closely  to  him,  and  I  noted  that,  instead  of 
looking  across  the  river  as  I  had  first  supposed,  he 
was  gazing  intently  at  something  held  in  his  palm. 
For  a  moment  I  knew  not  what  to  make  of  this,  then 
suddenly  the  flash  of  light  was  explained.  The  man 
held  a  mirror  which  reflected  what  went  on  behind 
him,  so  that  without  seeming  to  watch  the  house, 
he  was  all  the  time  keeping  an  eye  upon  it. 

This  discovery  brought  a  fresh  alarm.  If  the 
place  was  spied  upon,  then  some  one  knew  of  Will's 
presence  there. 

"  The  house  is  watched,  Will,"  I  whispered,  cross- 
ing the  room  to  him.  "  I  cannot  go  now." 

"Are  you  sure?"  he  questioned  anxiously,  and 
started  to  get  up. 

"  Nay,  stay  where  you  are,"  I  insisted.  "  'Twill 
do  no  good  to  waste  your  strength  uselessly.  You 
may  trust  me  to  know  that  what  I  say  is  true.  I 
dare  not  go  now  and  we  must  e'en  content  ourselves 
with  watching  our  watcher." 


1 82  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

There  was  no  argument  to  meet  this,  for  to  brave 
those  outside  would  be  to  lose  all.  Moreover  it 
might  well  be  that  I  would  be  taken  and  if  the  papers 
were  found  upon  me  it  would  be  fatal  to  my  brother 
and  do  the  Cause  no  good. 

"Think  you  they  wait  for  more  men  and  will 
then  storm  the  place?  "  I  asked  Will. 

"  Nay,  Polly,  I  know  not  what  to  think,"  he  an- 
swered gloomily.  "  'Tis  a  bad  outlook.  The  best 
we  can  hope  for  is  that  some  one  who  knew  you, 
watched  you  enter  here  and  is  curious  to  see  what 
your  next  move  will  be.  There  is  naught  now  to  do 
but  wait  for  night,  and  then  perchance  I  may  be 
strong  enough  to  go  with  you  and  do  a  little  fight- 
ing for  us  both.  Oh,  if  I  only  were  not  as  weak  as 
a  kitten !  "  He  ended  with  a  deep  sigh. 

I  returned  to  the  window  to  take  up  a  vigil  that 
was  to  last  many  hours. 

The  man  across  the  way  had  not  changed  his 
position  nor  did  he  for  a  long  time,  except  now  and 
then  to  shift  a  foot  or  move  his  arms.  Hour  after 
hour  he  remained  thus,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
mirror  in  his  hand. 

During  most  of  the  afternoon  Will  slept.  When 
he  woke  at  dusk  he  was  much  refreshed  and,  coming 
to  the  window,  vowed  he  was  a  new  man  again. 

"Where  is  this  bugaboo  of  yours?"  he  asked, 
putting  his  eyes  to  the  blind. 

"  See.  Right  across  the  street,"  I  answered. 
And,  as  if  he  felt  our  gaze  upon  him,  the  man  we 
stared  at  turned  his  face  toward  us.  With  a  little 
gasp  of  apprehension  I  recognized  the  weasel-faced 
spy. 

The  discovery  only  confirmed  our  worst  suspicions, 
and  made  no  difference  in  our  plans.  We  must  out- 
wait  the  man  who  watched  and  yet  be  ready  at  a 


Trapped  183 

moment's  notice  to  leave  our  hiding-place  and  be 
gone. 

He  was  still  on  guard  when  night  settled  down, 
and  then  I  began  to  worry,  for  since  we  could  not 
see  'twas  impossible  to  tell  whether  he  stayed  on 
or  no. 

This  also  caused  Will  some  anxiety,  and  another 
reason  for  apprehension  was  soon  added  to  our 
already  brimming  cup  of  woe.  We  noticed  that 
many  people  were  assembling  along  the  water-front 
and  lanthorns  were  flashing  here  and  there,  showing 
that  something  was  toward.  Now  and  then  there 
was  a  shout,  the  words  of  which  had  not  been  heard 
in  New  York  for  many  a  day. 

"  God  save  the  King !  "  was  the  cry.  And  right 
well  we  knew  what  that  meant. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

BROTHER   WILL   GIVES   UP 

FOR  a  moment  Will  and  I  stood  rigid,  and  again 
the  cry  was  raised. 
"God  save  the  King!" 

"  The  villains !  "  murmured  Will  under  his  breath. 
"  The  Tories  are  creeping  up  from  their  holes  now 
that  the  British  are  coming  into  the  City.  Oh,  but  I 
wish  you  were  out  of  this." 

"  We  must  both  get  out,"  I  answered.  "  Some- 
how or  other  we  must  get  out,  and  quickly,  for  the 
longer  we  stay  now  the  worse  it  will  be." 

To  this  he  agreed  and  we  began  to  rack  our  brains 
to  see  if  we  could  hit  upon  some  scheme  that  might 
pass  us  through  these  Tories  unrecognized,  but  there 
seemed  no  ready  solution  of  our  difficulties  though 
we  puzzled  over  it  until  our  heads  hummed. 

"  There's  naught  we  can  do  but  make  a  break  for 
it,"  said  Will.  "  Belike  if  we  walk  out  boldly,  yet 
keep  in  the  shadows,  no  one  will  take  note  of  us." 

"  Nay,  do  you  fancy  that  man  watched  the  house 
for  sport?  "  I  returned.  "  The  moment  we  put  foot 
outside  there  will  be  a  cry  raised  that  will  bring  a 
hundred  Tories  down  upon  us.  We  must  think  of 
something  else." 

"Ay,  but  what?"  he  asked,  and  as  he  said  it  I 
had  a  sudden  inspiration. 

"I  have  it!"  I  whispered  in  his  ear  excitedly. 
"  We'll  out  by  the  back  over  the  garden  wall." 

184 


Brother  Will  Gives  Up  185 

"  Right,  Polly,"  he  answered.  "  I'm  a  thick-head 
not  to  have  thought  of  that  an  hour  ago." 

We  lost  no  time  but  hurried  as  fast  as  Will's  lame 
leg  would  permit  down  the  stairs  and  out  into  the 
garden  where  I  had  procured  the  water.  It  was 
but  a  small  space,  with  a  few  fruits  growing  against 
a  brick  wall  in  which  there  was  a  green  door, —  fast 
locked,  alas  1  But  by  good  fortune  we  found  an  old 
chair  to  help  us  scale  it.  Warned  by  my  experience 
with  the  soldiers  at  home  I  placed  this  at  a  con- 
venient spot  and  mounted  to  look  before  we  leaped. 

At  first  I  saw  no  one  and  was  about  to  signal  to 
Will  to  come  on  when  the  moon,  heretofore  hidden 
under  a  cloud,  suddenly  shone  forth  and  by  its  rays 
I  discovered  no  less  than  three  men  on  guard.  I 
ducked  my  head,  hoping  they  had  not  seen  me,  but 
my  heart  was  like  lead  as  I  told  Will  that  our  escape 
was  cut  off  here  as  well  as  in  front.  I  had  made  so 
sure  in  my  mind  that  the  spy  worked  alone. 

"  We  might  have  known  it,"  he  muttered,  and  seat- 
ing himself  on  the  old  chair  he  put  his  head  in  his 
hands.  "  Let  me  think  a  minute."  And  for  a  while 
I  held  my  tongue. 

As  we  waited  there  in  the  back  garden  we  became 
aware  of  an  increased  noise  in  the  front  street.  The 
shouts  of  "God  save  the  King!"  were  redoubled, 
and  presently  another  cry  brought  a  chill  to  my 
heart. 

"Take  the  rebel  spy!  Take  the  rebel  spy!" 
were  the  words.  And  Will  raised  his  head  at  the 
sound  and  looked  at  me. 

"  Now  they're  showing  their  teeth,"  he  said.  But 
there  was  a  flash  in  his  eye  and  he  looked  more  de- 
termined than  he  had  before.  "  They  haven't  got 
me  yet,  Polly,  and  they  won't  get  me,  either.  Come, 
we'll  go  back.  I've  a  mind  to  fool  them  after  all. 


1 86  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

You  run  and  lock  the  front  door  on  the  way,  it  will 
serve  to  delay  them  a  little." 

This  I  did,  though  I  had  no  idea  of  his  plan  and 
was  nigh  in  despair,  thinking  how  dangerous  were 
the  papers  I  carried  and  that  Will  would  be  accused 
of  being  a  spy  because  of  them.  At  length  I  pro- 
posed that  I  should  destroy  them. 

"  Never,  if  I  can  help  it!  "  Will  exclaimed.  "  If 
v/orst  comes  to  worst,  and  we  are  about  to  be  taken, 
then  we  can  consider  it.  We're  far  from  captured 
yet,  and  if  I  can  find  a  lanthorn  or  a  candle  I  have  a 
hope  we  may  slip  through  their  fingers." 

"  Would  you  set  fire  to  the  house?  "  I  gasped. 

"  Ay,  an  it  were  necessary,"  he  answered  with  a 
chuckle,  for  the  nearness  of  the  danger  seemed  to 
put  him  in  a  fine  humour,  "  but  'twill  not  be,  I  hope." 

"  I  saw  some  candles  in  the  back  room.  'Twas 
quite  well  furnished,"  I  told  him,  and  with  a 
murmured,  "  Good,"  upon  his  lips  he  led  the  way 
there. 

We  groped  about  in  the  dark  till  I  found  a  candle. 
Will  produced  his  tinder-box  and  lit  it.  Then 
he  began  a  most  curious  performance  the  reason  for 
which  I  could  not  guess. 

He  took  a  sort  of  three-legged  stand  that  was  in 
the  corner  of  the  room,  a  "  tripod  "  he  called  it,  and 
bundling  some  papers  he  found  into  a  good-sized 
ball,  he  wrapped  it  about  with  a  table  cloth.  This 
done  he  set  the  ball  upon  the  tripod,  fastening  it 
with  some  strips  torn  from  the  cloth,  for  we  could 
discover  no  cord.  Next  he  took  off  his  coat  and 
buttoned  it  about  the  stand  and  in  the  flickering  light 
of  the  candle  it  did  not  look  unlike  the  upper  part  of 
a  man. 

Meanwhile  the  cries  outside  the  house  were  be- 
coming more  and  more  violent. 


Brother  Will  Gives  Up  187 

"  Catch  the  rebel  spy!  "  was  the  burden  of  them, 
and  every  moment  the  voices  rose  higher  and  more 
menacing. 

"  Peep  through  the  front  window  and  see  what  is 
going  on,"  Will  suggested,  and  I  crossed  the  hall 
and  looked  out.  Before  the  house  were  gathered 
some  two  score  or  more  men.  The  moonlight,  and  a 
few  lanthorns  here  and  there,  revealed  them  plainly 
enough ;  but,  though  they  cried  lustily,  it  did  not  seem 
to  me  that  they  were  over  anxious  to  do  more  than 
shout.  There  was  one  among  them,  however,  who 
went  about  from  group  to  group  urging  them  to 
attack  us,  as  I  judged  from  his  violent  gestures  to- 
ward the  window.  This  man  was  plainly  our  chief 
enemy,  and  when  he  came  under  a  swinging  light  I 
confirmed  my  belief  that  it  was  the  Tory  spy.  As  I 
looked  he  started  forward,  waving  to  those  behind, 
and  there  was  a  general  movement  toward  the  house. 
I  ran  at  once  to  Will. 

"They're  coming!"  I  cried,  for  there  was  little 
use  in  keeping  my  voice  lowered  now. 

"  Good!  "  he  answered,  and  lifting  up  the  stand 
with  the  coat  and  head  upon  it  he  started  for  the 
front  room. 

"  Have  the  candle  at  hand,  Polly,  but  do  not  bring 
it  in  until  I  tell  you." 

He  placed  the  tripod  at  the  window  and,  running 
back,  returned  with  a  chair  which  he  put  near  the 
stand. 

"  Now  we  are  ready,"  he  said  with  a  gay  note  in 
his  voice,  as  if  he  loved  the  danger.  "  Come  on, 
my  Tory  friends!  "  As  if  to  answer  him,  there  was 
a  yell  and  a  blow  was  struck  on  the  door  below. 

With  a  shout  Will  flung  open  the  blinds,  making  a 
great  clatter  as  he  did  so,  and  squeezing  in  between 
the  tripod  and  the  window.  Stooping  so  that  his 


1 88  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

head  came  on  a  level  with  the  paper  one,  he  leaned 
far  out  and  called  to  those  in  the  street. 

"  Hey,  below  there !     Are  you  looking  for  me  ?  " 

Instantly  there  was  a  howl,  followed  by  a  mo- 
ment of  quiet,  in  which  Will  spoke  again. 

"  I  promise  to  shoot  the  first  one  of  you  that  comes 
up  here  and  to  sabre  the  next  so  that  I  will  have  two 
to  my  account,  at  any  rate.  Now  who'll  be  shot  and 
who'll  be  sabred  for  the  King?  Come  on,  I'm  wait- 
ing for  you." 

He  stopped  and  whispered  to  me. 

"  Put  the  candle  on  the  chair,  Polly,"  and,  as  I 
did  his  bidding,  he  moved  quickly  from  the  window, 
leaving  the  dummy  to  show  in  his  place.  With  the 
candle-light  behind  it,  it  must  have  looked  to  those 
below  like  a  man  waiting,  as  Will  said  he  would  do. 

There  was  a  great  hub-hub  outside.  The  crowd, 
thinking  that  Will  sat  there  defying  them,  shouted 
maledictions  upon  him  with  a  right  good  will;  but 
there  was  none  seemingly  who  dared  lead  the  at- 
tack. However  we  stayed  not  to  listen  to  their 
cries.  Back  into  the  garden  we  hurried,  and  on  the 
way  Will  told  me  that  he  hoped,  by  making  it  ap- 
pear that  we  were  in  the  front,  those  who  guarded 
the  back  might  be  drawn  off  and  so  give  us  a  chance 
to  scale  the  wall. 

But  we  were  doomed  to  disappointment  for,  when 
I  looked,  two  of  the  three  watchers  were  still  there, 
and  my  heart  sank.  I  was  sure  we  were  lost,  and 
even  Will  shook  his  head  seriously,  not  knowing  what 
to  do. 

It  was  past  a  matter  of  simple  capture  now,  with 
only  imprisonment  to  follow.  These  Tories,  being 
at  heart  cowards,  would  kill  Will  at  once,  fearing 
that  he  might  execute  his  threats,  so  that  we  were 
indeed  in  desperate  straits. 


Brother  Will  Gives  Up  189 

We  stood  for  a  moment  hesitating,  when  sud- 
denly a  shot  rang  out  in  the  night,  followed  by  an- 
other and  then  another,  until  a  regular  fusillade  was 
poured  into  the  front  of  the  house. 

"  They  are  shooting  at  the  dummy,"  Will  whis- 
pered, but  his  words  were  drowned  by  the  shout  of 
one  of  the  men  outside  the  wall. 

"  Come  on!  They've  got  the  rebel!  "  he  yelled, 
and  we  heard  them  run  off. 

"  Now  is  our  chance  I  "  cried  Will,  and  I  scrambled 
to  the  top  of  the  wall,  while  he  followed  almost 
upon  my  heels. 

A  moment  later  we  dropped  down  outside.  My 
teeth  rattled  as  I  struck  the  ground  and  I  noticed  that 
Will  gave  a  smothered  cry  of  pain  as  he  landed  be- 
side me. 

"  Hurry  now !  "  he  called. 

I  thought  of  naught  but  fleeing  the  place  and  was 
about  to  run  toward  Maiden  Lane,  which  was  the 
most  direct  way  home. 

"  Nay,  we'll  meet  the  mob,  that  route,"  cried 
Will,  and  we  turned  toward  Hunter's  Quay,  which  is 
at  the  foot  of  Wall  Street. 

At  first  we  ran  swiftly,  listening  with  anxious  ears 
for  any  sound  of  pursuit;  but,  hearing  none,  we 
headed  up  into  the  town  until  we  came  to  Smith 
Street  where  Will  halted. 

"  I  must  rest  a  minute,  Polly,"  he  panted,  and  his 
face  showed  white  and  drawn  in  the  moonlight. 

"  Oh,  Will!  "  I  cried,  "  does  it  hurt  you  so?  " 

"  The  drop  from  the  wall  didn't  help  my  leg  any," 
he  answered,  his  mouth  twisting  as  if  he  were 
in  great  pain.  "  But  don't  worry.  I'll  be  all  right 
in  a  minute  and  we've  given  them  the  slip.  A  little 
farther  and  we'll  be  safe  enough." 

It  seemed  as  if  what  he  said  was  true  for  about 


190  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

us  all  was  quiet  and  even  the  mob  before  Anthony 
Lamb's  shop  had  ceased  their  racket. 

"  On  again,"  said  Will,  and  he  started,  but  this 
time  he  walked,  it  being  quite  impossible  for  him  to 
run  any  farther,  indeed  it  was  all  he  could  do  to 
drag  his  poor  wounded  leg  after  him. 

"  I  wish  they  would  make  more  noise  down  there 
by  the  river,"  he  grumbled  as  we  went  along. 

"Why  do  you  say  that?"  I  asked,  for  it  had 
seemed  to  me  that  the  cessation  of  the  noise  was  a 
good  omen. 

"  Because  it  shows  that  they  have  discovered  the 
trick,"  he  replied,  "  and  I  fear  they  will  be  after 
us." 

But  there  was  no  sign  of  that  then,  and  we  made 
our  way  as  best  we  could  until  we  came  to  Queen 
Street.  Here  there  reached  us,  faintly  at  first,  the 
pat,  pat  of  running  feet,  and  I  guessed  what  it 
meant. 

"  Hurry  I  "  exclaimed  Will  between  his  teeth,  and 
we  turned  up  toward  the  Broad  Way,  for  the  sound 
seemed  to  come  from  Maiden  Lane. 

But  it  was  impossible  for  Will  to  go  rapidly. 
Each  step  he  took  wrung  a  groan  from  him  and, 
though  I  tried  to  help,  it  was  all  he  could  do  to 
set  one  foot  before  the  other.  As  we  came  in  front 
of  the  new  Dutch  Church  he  staggered  and  clutched 
a  paling  to  keep  himself  from  falling. 

"  I'm  done,  Polly,"  he  whispered.  "  Run  on  and 
save  the  papers.  I  can  go  no  farther." 

"  Nay,  Will  I  shall  not  do  it !  "  I  answered  posi- 
tively. "  If  we  rest  a  moment  you  will  be  able 
to  go  on.  You've  come  this  far,  surely  we  can 
escape  them;  but  whatever  happens  I  shall  not  leave 
you." 

He  was  too  faint  to  protest,  though  he  shook  his 


Brother  Will  Gives  Up  191 

head  and  I  heard  him  grit  his  teeth  as  if  determined 
to  beat  the  weakness  that  threatened  to  undo  us 
both. 

"  Come !  "  he  muttered,  and  staggered  forward. 

I  put  my  arm  about  his  waist,  trying  to  balance 
him,  and  we  went  on  for  a  dozen  yards  more,  but 
again  the  faintness  overcame  him  and  he  grasped  the 
fence. 

"  Polly,"  he  murmured,  "  my  head  is  going  round 
and  round  and  I  fear  I  shall  swoon."  And  as  he 
said  it  the  sound  of  hurrying  feet  and  a  shout  not 
more  than  a  block  or  two  away  reached  our  ears. 

"  Will,"  I  whispered,  nigh  beside  myself,  "  Will, 
rouse  yourself  or  we  are  lost!  " 

"  I  cannot  go  a  step  farther,"  he  protested. 
"  Not  to  save  my  life !  " 

I  looked  about  me  helplessly,  and  all  the  while 
the  cries  of  our  pursuers  drew  steadily  nearer. 

"  Will,"  I  said  excitedly,  remembering  the  little 
door  under  the  church  steps,  "  you  must  get  over  the 
fence  at  once.  There  is  a  place  we  can  hide.  Come, 
try!  'Tis  our  last  chance." 

I  know  well  that  the  poor  boy  suffered  terribly  in 
the  effort  he  made,  and  I  am  sure,  too,  that  he 
thought  more  of  me  than  of  himself,  for  he  was  so 
near  spent  and  so  wracked  with  pain,  that  he  cared 
not  whether  he  lived  or  died.  But  the  closeness  of 
our  pursuers  spurred  him  and  he  made  a  gallant 
effort  and  scaled  the  fence.  How  he  managed  it  I 
can't  tell,  but  it  was  done  and  he  fell  inside  with  a 
groan. 

There  was  no  time  to  waste  now  and  I  urged 
him  on. 

"I  cannot,  Polly!  I  cannot!"  he  moaned,  as 
there  came  a  shouting,  and  cries  back  and  forth  at 
the  corner  of  the  block,  where  those  who  followed 


192  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

us  divided,  half  of  them  hurrying  up  the  street  close 
on  our  trail. 

"You  must!"  I  implored.  "It's  only  a  little 
way,"  and  grasping  him  by  the  arm  I  tried  to  drag 
him  toward  the  church. 

He  struggled  to  his  feet  and,  panting  from  the 
pain  he  suffered,  staggered  forward  only  half  con- 
scious now  of  what  was  going  on,  but  doing  all  that 
he  was  able  to  gain  the  shelter  of  the  steps. 

We  were  almost  there  when  he  stumbled  and 
fell  with  a  low  moan,  and  I  knew  that  he  had  lost  his 
senses. 

But  though  he  could  do  naught  more  to  help  him- 
self I  did  not  mean  that  he  should  be  captured. 
Summoning  all  the  strength  I  possessed  I  lifted  his 
shoulders  and,  almost  falling  backward  under  his 
weight,  dragged  him  to  the  little  door.  As  before 
I  found  it  open,  and,  with  a  final  effort,  I  hauled  him 
inside  the  space  beneath  the  steps  and  shut  the  door 
behind  us. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
i 

UNDER   FIRE 

ONCE  within  the  space  beneath  the  church  steps 
I  dragged  Will  back  as  far  as  possible  and 
seating  myself  at  the  little  door,  braced  my 
back  against  it.  Hardly  had  I  done  so  when  several 
men  ran  up  on  the  stoop  and  began  to  rattle  at  the 
lock. 

"  'Tis  closed !  "  cried  one  of  them.  'Twere  best 
to  have  a  look  about  the  yard.  Quick  now !  " 

"  Ay,  they  might  easily  be  hidden  in  the  shadows 
under  the  trees,"  agreed  another. 

"  Come  then,"  said  a  third,  "  but  have  your  pistols 
in  readiness.  He's  a  desperate  rebel,"  and  they  clat- 
tered down  over  our  heads. 

I  heard  shouting  back  and  forth.  Others  scram- 
bled over  the  fence  to  join  the  searchers,  separating 
and  moving  cautiously,  as  I  could  tell  by  the  sounds 
they  made,  but  presently  to  my  great  relief  they 
went  off,  evidently  certain  in  their  own  minds  that 
we  were  not  there. 

Though  we  were  rid  of  the  immediate  danger  we 
were  far  from  safe,  and  now  that  I  had  a  chance, 
to  think,  the  peril  of  our  position  came  more  nearly 
home  to  me.  I  changed  my  place  and  sat  with 
Will's  head  in  my  lap,  knowing  that  to  show  our- 
selves would  be  to  court  capture.  Moreover  Will 
was  quite  unconscious  and,  though  he  breathed,  he 
was  so  utterly  helpless  that  I  feared  he  might  die. 

193 


194  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

This  thought  however  I  put  from  me.  Already 
I  had  enough  to  be  alarmed  about  and  I  assured 
myself  that  there  was  no  reason  to  suppose  his  hurt 
was  mortal. 

There  was,  however,  one  clear  fact.  I  could  do 
naught  but  sit  where  I  was  and  wait  till  Will  should 
come  to  himself  again.  I  made  myself  as  com- 
fortable as  I  could  in  that  narrow  space,  leaning  my 
back  against  the  wall.  Then  I  wracked  my  brains 
once  more  to  find  a  way  out  of  our  desperate  situa- 
tion. 

It  seems  well  nigh  impossible  to  believe,  but  the 
fact  is  that  I  went  to  sleep.  I  was  tired  out  with 
the  strain  both  of  mind  and  body  that  I  had  under- 
gone, and,  feeling  a  certain  security  in  our  hiding- 
place  and  no  immediate  prospects  of  quitting  it,  I 
dropped  off  without  knowing  it. 

I  awoke  with  a  start  and  saw  through  the  cracks 
in  the  little  door  that  the  day  was  beginning  to 
break.  The  space  inside  was  brighter  also,  and  I 
looked  down  and  found  Will  gazing  up  at  me  with 
a  smile  upon  his  face. 

"  If  you  hadn't  opened  your  eyes  soon  I  should 
have  had  to  shake  you,"  he  said,  and  raised  him- 
self into  a  sitting  position. 

"  How  are  you  feeling?  "  I  asked  anxiously. 

"  I'm  better,"  he  answered,  "  but  I'm  no  giant  yet. 
Never  mind  about  me,  I  want  you  to  take  those 
papers  to  father  at  once.  Nay  now,  don't  protest," 
he  insisted,  seeing  that  I  was  about  to  make  objec- 
tions, "  'tis  too  serious  a  matter  to  argue  over.  You 
will  be  safe  alone.  The  hunt  for  me  is  doubtless 
over,  and  you  should  win  through  to  our  house  with- 
out trouble.  And  Polly,  those  papers  must  be  de- 
livered. That's  the  important  thing." 

"  But  what  is  to  become  of  you?  "  I  asked. 


Under  Fire  195 

"  I  shall  follow  later,"  he  answered  confidently. 
"  I'm  all  right  and  can  get  through  to  our  men,  I'm 
sure,  after  I've  had  an  hour  or  two  more  of  rest. 
These  Tories  are  night  birds,  and  it  isn't  far  to  the 
Common  now.  Once  there,  I  shall  be  cared  for." 

"  Yes,  and  you'll  not  be  in  such  danger  without 
the  papers,"  I  said  half  to  myself,  "  and  'tis  not  likely 
any  one  would  stop  and  search  a  maid  by  day." 

So,  somewhat  reassured,  I  consented  to  leave  him, 
believing  that  in  doing  so  I  was  acting  for  his  good. 
He  impressed  upon  me  the  importance  of  seeing  the 
papers  safe  in  father's  hands,  telling  me  once  more 
that  they  must  be  delivered  to  General  Washing- 
ton without  fail  and  insisting  that  their  value  to  the 
cause  could  hardly  be  overestimated. 

"  Don't  let  all  my  suffering  go  for  naught,"  he  said 
finally.  "  If  they  do  not  reach  His  Excellency  I  shall 
have  toiled  and  bled  uselessly.  Get  you  gone  now 
to  father  —  and  good  luck!  " 

I  opened  the  little  door  cautiously  and  peered  out. 
No  one  was  in  sight  and,  creeping  forth  stealthily,  I 
soon  won  to  the  fence  and  was  over  in  a  moment. 
Once  in  the  street  I  breathed  more  easily  for  now, 
though  I  might  be  stopped  I  need  not  betray  Will's 
hiding-place.  But  as  I  went  on  I  was  more  and  more 
reassured,  for  there  were  no  people  abroad  and  the 
city  seemed  deserted.  The  sun  had  not  yet  risen 
and  there  was  no  sound  save  the  first  twittering 
of  the  birds  in  the  branches  above  my  head. 

Needless  to  say  I  hurried  as  fast  as  I  could,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  I  had  pushed  open  our  garden 
gate  and  was  on  into  the  house. 

I  had  expected  that  all  would  be  asleep  and  was 
surprised  to  find  the  door  into  the  kitchen  open,  but 
I  had  scarce  entered  when  old  Betty  came  into  the 
room. 


196  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

She  looked  at  me  for  a  moment  and  then  raised 
her  arms  above  her  head. 

"  Praise  be,  you's  back,  Miss  Polly!  "  she  cried. 
"  We  all  has  been  mos'  scared  to  death  about  you, 
and  Dr.  Trotter  done  act  like  he  was  crazy  'cause 
he  sen'  you  off.  Took  mighty  powerful  arguments 
to  get  him  to  go  away  afore  you  come  back." 

"  Go  away !  "  I  echoed  in  consternation. 

"  Why  yes,  Missy,  he's  done  been  gone  two  or 
three  hours,  I  reckon." 

"Gone  away?"  I  repeated,  looking  blankly  at 
Betty. 

"  Sure  enough,  that's  what  I  said,"  she  answered. 
'  They  was  some  officer  gem'mens  come  for  him  and 
he  jes'  na'chally  had  to  go,  though  he  argued  a  heap, 
I  tell  you,  and  didn't  want  to  leave  nohow.  But  they 
tol'  him  they  was  men  a-dyin'  'case  he  weren't  there 
to  take  care  of  'em,  an'  that  he  couldn't  do  no  good 
sittin'  here,  an' — well,  Miss  Polly,  he  done  give  in 
final,  'cause  they  said  they'd  'rest  him  if  he  didn't 
come  along.  Leastways  that's  the  way  it  seemed 
to  me." 

The  unexpectedness  of  finding  that  father  was  not 
there  stunned  me  for  a  moment.  All  my  thoughts 
had  been  centred  in  getting  Will's  despatches  to 
him  and  so  forwarding  them  to  General  Washing- 
ton. Now  that  he  had  gone  I  knew  not  what  to 
do.  Then  I  remembered  the  Common,  full  of  Con- 
tinental soldiers,  and  sure  that  I  should  find  officers 
among  them,  I  turned  about,  meaning  to  be  rid  of 
my  responsibility  as  quickly  as  possible. 

"Where  is  you-all  gwine?"  asked  Betty  as  I 
started  to  go  out  again. 

"  Only  to  the  Common,"  I  returned.  "  I'll  be 
back  in  five  minutes." 

I  ran  as  fast  as  I  could  and  soon  came  to  the  open 


Under  Fire  197 

square,  but  there  I  stopped  appalled.  Except  for  a 
few  stragglers  the  place  was  empty  of  people.  All 
the  soldiers  who  had  crowded  it  when  I  was  last  there 
had  gone,  and  I  gazed  about  me  bewildered,  scarce 
knowing  what  to  do. 

A  country  boy  was  loitering  near  and  I  went  to 
him  for  information. 

"  Where  are  our  soldiers?  "  I  asked. 

"  They've  gone,"  he  answered.  "  They  went  in 
a  hurry,  too,  Miss.  And  they  do  say  the  British  are 
coming  over  fast.  But  they  ain't  been  gone  long  and 
most  like  you  could  catch  them  an  you  made  haste." 

I  thanked  him  and  set  off  along  the  high  road  to 
Boston  expecting  to  come  up  with  the  troops  at 
any  time,  but  I  little  guessed  what  was  before  me. 

A  cloud  of  dust  ahead  showed  where  the  soldiers 
were.  I  pressed  forward  at  top  speed  without  gain- 
ing on  them  until  a  stitch  in  my  side  warned  me  that 
I  must  go  slower  and  save  my  breath.  On  I  went, 
however,  meeting  now  and  then  a  man  or  two  who 
eyed  me  curiously  and  pointed  ahead  when  I  asked 
for  the  soldiers.  Still  I  pressed  forward  till  I  had 
left  the  city  behind  me  and  was  plodding  along  in  the 
open  country  with  corn-fields  and  fallow  land  about 
me.  At  last  I  came  to  Inclenberg  and  saw  Mr  Mur- 
ray's house  standing  on  a  rise  of  ground.  Had  I 
looked  closely  I  must  have  caught  the  gleam  of  red 
coats  among  the  trees,  for  'twas  here  the  brilliant 
Madam  Murray  detained  the  British  officers  until 
our  despairing  troops  had  time  to  make  their  escape. 
But  from  what  I  had  been  told  on  the  way,  I  thought 
I  must  surely  find  those  I  sought  on  the  Kingsbridge 
road  which  ran  through  this  property,  and  my  mind 
was  set  on  that  alone. 

When  I  came  to  this  highway  I  found  everything 
in  confusion.  It  was  alive  with  soldiers  running 


198  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

toward  the  Hudson  River  at  top  speed,  each  man  for 
himself  and  all  seemingly  in  a  great  panic.  I  was 
appalled  at  first  as  I  came  up  with  them,  and  I  stayed 
an  instant  on  the  outskirts  of  the  panting  crowd,  for 
it  was  no  hard  matter  to  guess  that  the  men  were  flee- 
ing in  panic  from  something.  It  was  but  a  moment 
ere  I  knew  the  cause. 

"The  British  are  coming!"  was  the  cry  from 
hundreds  of  throats,  and  throwing  away  their 
muskets,  dropping  their  coats,  their  knapsacks,  their 
blankets,  everything  in  fact  that  could  hamper  them 
in  their  headlong  flight,  they  raced  on,  glancing  over 
their  shoulders  with  white,  scared  faces,  for  the  most 
part  silent,  as  if  saving  their  breath  to  aid  their  es- 
cape. 

The  sight  of  so  many  frightened  beings  brought 
terror  to  me.  What  would  become  of  a  maid  if 
strong  men  such  as  these  were  using  every  ounce  of 
their  strength  to  escape  pursuers  who  might  appear 
at  any  moment?  I  made  half  a  turn  to  retrace  my 
steps,  then,  summoning  what  resolution  I  had,  I 
joined  the  fleeing  crowd,  meaning  to  find  an  officer 
and  deliver  my  papers,  come  what  might. 

As  I  ran  a  soldier  looked  at  me,  his  eyes  opening 
wide  in  surprise,  but  when  I  asked  him,  panting  out 
my  words,  where  I  could  find  some  one  in  command, 
he  shook  his  head  as  if  to  say  he  did  not  know  or 
care.  Yet  he  spoke  no  word. 

I  gazed  about  me  trying  to  discover  who  was  in 
authority  and,  far  ahead  of  me,  I  spied  a  man  on 
horseback  with  his  sword  out,  shouting  at  those  near 
him.  I  moved  into  the  thickest  of  the  press,  jostled 
by  those  around  me,  hoping  to  be  swept  up  to  this 
officer;  but  I  could  not  reach  him,  try  as  I  would. 
Then  suddenly  there  came  the  sounds  of  shots  fired 
back  of  us,  a  roar  of  fear  from  those  behind  and  in 


Under  Fire  199 

a  moment  the  pani'c  was  doubled.  If  the  crowd  had 
been  crazed  before,  the  noise  of  the  firing  increased 
their  fears  an  hundredfold.  I  heard  men  beside  me 
sob  with  anguish  and  moan  as  if  their  last  hour  had 
come.  Others  struggled  fiercely  to  push  those  ahead 
of  them  aside;  still  others  cried  at  the  top  of  their 
lungs  that  all  was  lost  and  that  the  British  would 
butcher  them  to  the  last  man. 

Another  volley  of  shots  behind  us,  this  time  nearer, 
brought  groan  upon  groan  from  the  fleeing  throng 
and  spurred  their  tiring  feet  to  redoubled  efforts. 

"  They  are  upon  us!  "  was  the  hoarse  shout,  and 
a  convulsive  shudder  went  through  the  panting 
troops. 

Suddenly,  bursting  through  the  crowd  ahead,  I 
saw  a  horseman  galloping  toward  us.  His  sword 
was  raised  on  high  and  he  shouted  to  the  men  who 
scattered  hurriedly  right  and  left,  for  the  rider  was 
coming  at  a  furious  pace. 

He  reined  in  his  horse  not  far  from  where  I  had 
paused  and  I  heard  his  commands. 

"Stand!"  he  cried  in  a  loud  voice.  "Stand! 
Must  you  run  at  the  sight  of  a  red-coat?  Stand,  I 
say!  "  and,  as  I  came  near  to  him,  my  heart  gave  a 
bound  of  joy,  for  the  man  upon  the  horse  was  Gen- 
eral Washington. 

I  pressed  forward  without  regard  to  whom  I 
pushed  or  shouldered  out  of  my  way.  I  forgot 
that  I  was  a  maid.  I  forgot  everything  but  the  fact 
that  I  had  won  at  last  to  the  one  to  whom  the  papers 
must  be  delivered,  and  I  meant  that  he  should  take 
them,  come  what  might. 

He  held  his  horse  in  the  midst  of  the  fleeing  crowd 
and  for  a  moment  checked  their  rush. 

"  Take  to  the  walls !  Take  to  the  cornfields !  " 
he  shouted,  and  there  was  a  general  scramble  for  the 


2OO  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

sides  of  the  road,  so  that  I  suddenly  found  myself 
almost  alone  beside  the  great  horse  he  rode. 

"Your  Excellency!"  I  cried  at  the  top  of  my 
lungs,  mad  for  fear  that  he  would  not  see  me  and 
would  perhaps  ride  off.  "  Your  Excellency  1  Here 
are  papers  for  you !  " 

He  heard  me,  but  for  an  instant  could  not  place 
the  sound,  then  he  looked  down  and  saw  me  holding 
out  the  despatches. 

"What  are  you  doing  here,  Mistress  Trotter?" 
he  cried,  recognizing  me  instantly,  but  he  reached 
down  to  me  and  took  the  papers,  and  so  glad  did  I 
feel  to  be  rid  of  them  that  I  was  rid  also  of  all  fear 
and  could  have  laughed  for  joy. 

"  They  come  from  my  brother  who  was  wounded 
and  could  not  bring — "  But  he  cut  me  short  with 
a  command. 

"Get  you  behind  that  stone  wall  and  lie  flat  I" 
he  ordered,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  volley  of  mus- 
ketry brought  me  to  my  senses,  for  I  heard  the 
whistle  of  the  bullets  as  I  ran  for  the  wall.  I  looked 
back  and  there,  but  a  few  hundred  yards  behind  us, 
were  the  red  coats  of  the  enemy  just  topping  the  rise. 
Another  volley  rang  out,  yet  General  Washington  sat 
alone  in  the  road  watching  me,  and  so  he  remained 
until  he  saw  me  mount  the  wall  in  safety,  then  with 
a  wave  of  his  hand  he  spurred  his  horse  away, 
seeming  to  care  naught  for  the  shouts  and  bullets  that 
followed  him. 

I  lay  on  the  ground  behind  the  stone  wall  and 
presently  the  British  soldiers  passed  me  on  the  road, 
but  I  was  not  to  lie  undiscovered.  They  were  look- 
ing to  make  prisoners  of  those  who  had  dropped  from 
exhaustion  and  I  was  soon  routed  out;  but,  though 
they  were  enemies  of  my  country,  I  cannot  in  justice 
say  they  treated  me  aught  but  kindly. 


Under  Fire  2OI 

"  This  is  no  place  for  a  lass,"  cried  the  big  gren- 
adier who  found  me.  "  Get  you  to  the  rear  as  fast 
as  you  can,"  he  added,  and  set  me  on  my  way,  wav- 
ing a  hand  to  those  behind,  as  if  to  indicate  that  I 
was  not  to  be  molested. 

Nor  was  I.  I  returned  as  I  had  come,  meeting 
many  British  in  their  red  uniforms  and,  though  there 
were  bantering  shouts  and  cries  of  surprise  that  I  was 
there,  it  seemed  to  be  taken  for  granted  that  I  was 
but  a  harmless  female  caught  between  the  two  armies, 
perchance  while  I  was  picking  berries  in  the  country. 
Whatever  they  thought,  they  did  not  halt  my  prog- 
ress. 

But  it  was  a  weary  journey  back.  I  plodded  along 
tired,  bedraggled  and  footsore  yet  very  happy  that 
I  had  rid  myself  of  the  despatches.  Will's  work 
had  not  been  in  vain  and  I  took  some  pleasure  in  the 
fact  that,  in  a  small  way,  I  too  had  again  had  a 
chance  to  serve  the  cause  of  liberty  in  the  Americas. 

I  was  nearly  worn  out  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  to 
drag  myself  to  the  house.  It  was  as  if  I  had  sud- 
denly become  an  old,  old  woman,  so  tired  did  I  feel 
and  so  full  of  aches,  but  I  managed  to  reach  the 
back  stoop  where  I  sat  down  and  called  feebly  for 
Betty  who  in  a  moment  came  running  to  me. 

"  Fo'  de  lands  sakes,  Miss  Polly,"  she  exclaimed, 
shocked  at  the  condition  in  which  she  found  me. 
"  Yo'  surely  is  dead  beat.  Yo'  ma's  been  askin'  fo' 
you  but  I  done  toP  her  yo'  was  on  a  errand  for  you' 
pa." 

"  I  must  go  to  her  at  once,"  I  said,  struggling  to  my 
feet. 

"  You'll  do  nothin'  of  the  kind  lookin'  like  that," 
she  insisted.  "  If  I  runs  up  and  say  to  her  that  yo' 
is  back  an'  is  eatin'  yo'  head  off,  mos'  like  she'll  drop 
off  to  sleep." 


2O2  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"Ay,  that's  well  thought  of,  Betty,"  I  agreed, 
"  but  before  you  go  please  give  me  a  drink." 

"  No,  honey,"  Betty  returned,  shaking  her  head. 
"  I  ain't  gwine  to  give  yo'  none,  nohow.  Not  yet 
awhile." 

"Why  not?"  I  asked,  puzzled.  "Hasn't  the 
Tea  Water  Pump  man  been  here  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  come  all  right,"  she  answered.  "  'Taint 
that.  We've  a  plenty  'cause  I  took  double,  for  good- 
ness knows  when  we-all  will  see  him  again." 

"  Then  give  me  some  at  once,"  I  demanded,  for 
indeed  my  throat  was  parched. 

"  No,  no  1  OF  Betty's  got  too  much  sense  to  go 
fillin'  yo'  up  with  water,"  she  replied  stubbornly. 
"  S'posin'  you-all  brings  in  a  horse  that's  all  hotted 
up  like  you  is.  You  ain't  gwin'  to  give  him  all  he  can 
drink  till  he  founders  hisself.  You  sit  still,  honey 
chil'.  I'll  make  you  a  cup  of  tea  an'  while  the 
water's  bilin',  I'll  up  and  tell  Mis'  Trotter." 

She  started  a  kettle  and  bustled  out,  leaving  me 
alone,  and  though  I  had  little  faith  in  Betty's  argu- 
ments, I  was  too  tired  to  do  aught  but  what  I  was 
told.  Later  I  learned  that  she  had  probably  saved 
my  life,  for  many  died  that  hot  day  for  no  other 
reason  than  that  they  halted  on  the  march  to  fill 
themselves  with  cold  water  from  the  wayside  springs. 

Betty  returned  shortly  and  gave  me  not  only  tea, 
but  milk  and  food  as  well,  standing  at  my  side  and 
urging  me  to  eat  and  drink  my  fill. 

"  Yo'  ma's  takin'  a  nap,"  she  assured  me,  "  and 
she  says  yo'd  better  take  one,  too,  Miss  Polly. 
Which  is  mighty  good  a'vice." 

So  refreshed  was  I  by  the  food  that  I  was  not  in 
the  least  minded  to  sleep,  but  seated  myself  on  the 
stoop  enjoying  the  fresh  breeze  blowing  across  the 
garden. 


Under  Fire  203 

I  but  half  listened  to  Betty's  constant  chatter,  my 
thoughts  dwelling  upon  Will,  and  I  wondered  if  he 
would  be  able  to  join  his  regiment  now  that  the  Brit- 
ish had  landed  in  the  city.  The  more  I  thought  of 
this  the  more  fretted  I  became,  for  he  was  in  too 
weak  a  state  to  travel  far  and  I  greatly  feared  he 
would  be  taken  after  all. 

As  I  puzzled  the  matter  a  faint  hail  came  to  me 
and,  springing  to  my  feet,  I  ran  to  the  garden  gate 
and  looked  down  the  street. 

Coming  toward  me,  limping  painfully  and  glancing 
back  over  his  shoulder  as  if  he  feared  pursuit  was 
Will.  With  a  little  cry  of  surprise  and  dismay  I 
sped  to  him,  and  as  I  reached  his  side,  he  stumbled. 

"Hurry,  Polly,"  he  gasped.  "Hurry!  The 
red-coats  are  after  me,"  and  even  as  he  spoke  there 
was  a  shout  behind  us  and  looking  back,  I  saw  a 
dozen  British  soldiers  running  in  our  direction. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE   BRITISH   TAKE   A   PRISONER 

GRASPING  Will  by  the  arm  we  won  to  the 
garden  while  the  soldiers  were  yet  a  block 
away. 

"  Make  haste  into  the  house !  "  I  cried,  and  only 
stopping  long  enough  to  drop  the  bar  across  the  gar- 
den door  I  followed  on  the  run. 

I  reached  the  house  just  as  Will  was  entering. 
He  staggered  across  the  room,  half  falling  into  a 
chair  and  I  turned  the  key  in  the  lock  and  went  to 
him  at  once. 

He  was  in  pain  from  his  exertions  but  I  could  not 
let  him  remain  there  to  be  taken.  I  knew  only  too 
well  that  the  soldiers  would  be  in  upon  us,  for  they 
could  not  fail  to  have  seen  where  we  went. 

"  Come,  Will,"  I  cried,  "  out  by  the  front  and  you 
will  escape  them  yet." 

"  Nay,  that's  impossible,"  he  said,  shaking  his 
head,  "  but  what  of  the  papers?  " 

"  They  are  in  General  Washington's  hands,"  I 
assured  him. 

"  Then  it's  all  right,"  he  exclaimed.  "  I  don't 
care  what  happens  now." 

"  But  I  won't  have  you  taken,"  I  insisted,  and  at 
that  moment  we  heard  a  shout  and,  glancing  out  of 
the  window,  I  saw  half  a  dozen  British  soldiers 
climbing  the  wall. 

"  It  was  that  Tory  spy  of  yours  that  put  them  on 
204 


The  British  Take  a  Prisoner  205 

the  track,"  Will  said  bitterly.  "  I  was  safe  enough 
till  by  some  mischance  I  ran  into  him." 

"  Never  mind  that  now,"  I  urged.  "  Think  of 
something  to  do.  I  can't  let  you  be  taken." 

"  I  can't  go  on,"  he  answered.  "  They  would 
have  me  before  I  made  half  a  mile." 

"  Then  hide  somewhere  in  the  house,"  I  begged. 
"  Go  up  to  mother's  room.  They  won't  enter  there. 
Go,  Will,  go !  "  I  grasped  his  arm  and  pulled  him 
to  his  feet  just  as  there  came  a  thundering  knock  on 
the  door. 

"  Open  in  the  name  of  the  King!  "  was  the  com- 
mand. 

I  heeded  it  not,  but  hauled  my  brother  to  the  foot 
of  the  stairs,  telling  him  again  to  go  to  mother's 
room.  He  protested  that  it  was  useless,  but  I  in- 
sisted and  up  he  went,  though  it  was  no  easy  task  with 
his  lame  foot. 

Meanwhile  the  blows  on  the  kitchen  door  were 
repeated  and  again  came  the  summons,  "  Open  in 
the  name  of  the  King!  " 

An  idea  came  popping  into  my  head.  I  ran  to 
the  front  door  and,  drawing  the  bolt,  I  opened  it  a 
crack,  but  hardly  had  I  done  so  when  there  was  a 
sound  of  splintering  wood  behind  me  and  I  heard 
the  rush  of  feet  inside  the  house. 

I  faced  about,  but  ere  I  had  gone  more  than  a  step 
or  two  three  men  seized  me. 

"  Well,  Miss,"  said  the  sergeant  who  was  in  com- 
mand, "  where  is  he?  " 

"  That  is  for  you  to  find  out,"  I  answered,  trying 
to  appear  indifferent,  and  at  the  same  time  I  gave  a 
sidelong  glance  at  the  door  standing  ajar. 

One  of  the  soldiers,  noting  the  direction  of  my 
eyes,  passed  me  and  strode  across  the  hall. 

"  He's  gone  this  route,  sergeant !  "  he  cried,  open- 


206  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

ing  the  door  as  he  spoke.  "  And  in  haste  too,  for 
'tis  not  even  latched.  Come,  we  shall  be  wasting 
time  here." 

The  sergeant  hurried  forward  and  passed  out  on 
the  stoop.  My  heart  leaped  with  hope  as  I  saw 
that  they  had  taken  the  meaning  I  had  intended. 
For  a  moment  I  made  sure  Will  was  safe. 

"  He's  nowhere  in  sight !  "  exclaimed  one  of  the 
men.  "  But  he  can't  be  far.  Shall  we  after  him? 
'Tis  most  like  he  is  but  beyond  the  corner." 

The  sergeant  seemed  to  hesitate  for  a  moment  as 
if  in  two  minds  what  to  do,  then  he  turned  back  to 
me. 

"  Did  he  go  out?  "  he  asked. 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  tell  you?  "  I  answered. 

"And  why  not?"  he  questioned.  "It  can't  be 
that  so  fine  a  lass  is  a  rebel." 

"  You  may  call  me  that  an  it  pleases  you,"  I  re- 
plied, stoutly.  "  I'm  not  for  your  master  the  King, 
who  is  trying  to  make  slaves  of  us." 

"  'Tis  not  my  business  to  inquire  why  I  fight,"  the 
man  returned.  "  In  faith  I'd  get  no  answers  to  such 
questions  if  I  asked  them.  The  King  says  fight  and 
I  fight,  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  'tis  my  duty 
to  the  hand  that  feeds  me. —  But  that's  not  finding 
our  man  and  him  I  mean  to  have.  Will  you  tell  me 
whether  he  is  in  the  house  or  no?  " 

"  Nay,  I'll  tell  you  naught,"  I  made  reply  as 
defiantly  as  I  could,  and  then  added  in  sheer  bravado, 
"  Search  the  house  an  you've  a  mind  to.  It  can't  run 
away." 

"  But  a  man  can!  That's  your  meaning,  is  it?  " 
he  exclaimed,  thinking  he  had  caught  me,  and  turning 
to  his  men  he  ordered  them  out  of  the  house  on  the 
run. 

"  After  him  1  "  he  shouted,  starting  toward  the 


The  British  Take  a  Prisoner  207 

door,  and  I,  sure  that  I  saw  the  end  of  the  business, 
could  not  keep  the  joy  I  felt  from  showing  and 
actually  smiled.  But  that  smile  was  fatal,  for  the 
sergeant  had  made  hardly  two  steps  toward  the  open 
door  when  he  whirled  suddenly  and  faced  me.  I 
tried  instantly  to  compose  my  features  but  it  was 
too  late.  He  had  seen  the  tell-tale  light  in  my  eyes 
and  the  lingering  smile  on  my  lips. 

"  Halt!  "  he  cried  to  the  soldiers.  "  The  one  we 
want  is  here,  and,  though  'tis  not  a  man's-  work  to 
befool  a  maid,  'twas  necessary  The  next  time,  my 
lass,  hide  your  joy  till  your  enemy  is  out  of  sight. 
Now  will  you  tell  me  where  he  is  or  must  I  turn  the 
house  out?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  naught,"  I  replied,  tears  com- 
ing into  my  eyes,  which  only  went  to  confirm  his 
suspicions,  but  I  could  not  help  it.  The  trick  he  had 
played  me  seemed  to  have  taken  all  my  courage  and 
left  me  hopeless.  I  thought  of  poor  mother,  see- 
ing Will  being  led  away  to  prison  or  worse,  but 
how  was  I  to  prevent  it  now? 

The  sergeant  gave  orders  for  a  search  and  two 
more  soldiers  came  in  from  the  garden  to  lend  their 
aid.  A  man  was  posted  at  the  front  door  and  an- 
other at  the  back  with  orders  to  let  none  pass  on 
pain  of  death.  Then  the  sergeant  led  the  way  to 
the  cellars  where  a  very  thorough  hunt  was  made.  I 
had  hoped  to  be  left  behind,  but  he  kept  me  at  his 
side  and  I  followed  disconsolately,  while  they  looked 
here,  there  and  everywhere,  not  leaving  unexamined 
a  hole  large  enough  to  hide  a  mouse. 

As  I  watched  them  my  spirits  became  more  and 
more  downcast,  for  it  was  certain  that  sooner  or 
later  Will  must  be  found.  There  was  no  particular 
hurry  on  the  part  of  the  officer,  though  he  kept  his 
men  working  briskly,  but  rather  a  steady  thorough- 


208  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

ness  that  argued  ill  for  any  one  who  hoped  to  escape 
his  eye. 

"  Well,  he's  not  here,"  said  he,  when  the  cellars 
were  finally  gone  over  from  end  to  end,  and  barrels 
and  boxes  and  all  things  behind  which  a  man  might 
hide  were  dragged  out  and  examined  upon  every 
side.  "  Up  with  you  to  the  next  floor." 

And  up  we  all  went.  Here  the  search  went  on  in 
the  same  careful  way,  but  of  course  without  result 
except  to  confirm  my  belief  that  Will's  escape  was 
impossible. 

At  last  the  order  was  given  to  go  through  the  next 
floor  and  mother's  chamber  being  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs,  I  was  nigh  desperate. 

As  the  sergeant  gave  the  command  I  rushed  ahead 
and  standing  before  mother's  door,  faced  about,  re- 
solved not  to  let  them  in  without  a  struggle,  though 
to  tell  the  truth  I  hardly  knew  what  I  was  doing  or 
what  purpose  it  would  serve  to  oppose  them  further. 
'Twas  a  confession  on  my  part  that  what  they  sought 
was  concealed  there,  but  I  thought  not  of  that.  My 
only  impulse  was  to  keep  them  away,  to  put  myself 
between  them  and  those  I  loved,  to  save  my  brother 
and  my  mother  also,  for  I  feared  that  such  a  shock 
might  kill  her.  I  was  beside  myself  with  grief  and 
apprehension,  yet  against  five  strong  men,  determined 
to  have  their  way,  there  was  naught  that  I  could  do. 
That  thought  I  put  from  me  and,  spurred  on  by  the 
anguish  in  my  heart,  I  stood  with  my  back  to  the  door 
defying  them. 

They  came  up  to  me  slowly  with  the  deliberation 
that  had  characterized  all  their  actions. 

"  'Tis  the  end  of  our  search,  sergeant,"  said  one 
of  the  men. 

"  Ay,"  agreed  several  of  the  others,  but  the 
sergeant  whose  eye  was  on  me  guessed  something  of 


The  British  Take  a  Prisoner  209 

my  purpose  and  looked  to  see  a  struggle  not  to  his 
taste,  for  without  doubt  he  was  a  kindly  man  though 
he  was  a  Britisher. 

"  Now  lass,"  he  began,  somewhat  sternly,  intend- 
ing to  fright  me  a  little,  "  do  not  be  a  silly  girl,  for 
'twill  be  useless  to  battle  against  five  men.  Give 
back  and  let  us  in." 

"  Nay,"  I  cried,  "  you  shall  not  go  in  an  I  can  help 
it!  'Tis  my  mother's  room  and  she  is  very  ill. 
Search  all  the  rest  of  the  house  an  you  like,  but 
here  you  may  not  go." 

"  'Tis  just  here  we  wish  to  go,"  he  answered  me. 
"  Come,  my  girl.  Don't  force  us  to  be  violent  with 
you.  We  are  not  here  to  war  on  women  and  chil- 
dren. But  I  have  been  sent  after  the  man  and  must 
have  him.  Unless  I  miss  my  guess  we  have  reached 
the  right  spot  to  find  him.  Come,  out  of  the  way!  " 

"  You  shall  not  go  in!  "  I  insisted.  "  Twill  be 
the  death  of  my  mother  to  see  you  rushing  in  upon 
her.  You  shall  not  go !  "  and  I  stretched  my  arms 
across  the  door. 

"  Now  this  vexes  me  mightily,"  said  the  sergeant, 
"  but  we  have  already  spent  too  much  time  upon  this 
business  and  we  can't  waste  any  more.  Come,  lass," 
and  he  grasped  my  wrist. 

"You  shall  not!  You  shall  not!"  I  almost 
screamed,  as  I  wrenched  my  arm  vainly,  trying  to  free 
it  from  him,  but  I  might  as  well  have  struggled 
against  a  giant  for,  without  any  effort,  he  drew  me 
from  the  door.  I  had  done  all  I  could  to  save 
Will,  and  now  the  end  had  come. 

"  That's  better,"  said  the  sergeant  in  a  kindly 
tone,  "  you've  done  your  best  and  you  are  a  brave 
lass,  but  we  must  do  our  work.  Open  the  door,"  he 
commanded  one  of  the  men,  who  put  his  hand  upon 
the  latch. 


210  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Poor  mother !  "  I  murmured,  and  as  I  said  the 
words  the  door  was  opened  and  the  sergeant  stepped 
to  the  threshold  with  me  beside  him. 

We  stood  gazing  in,  but  save  for  mother  lying 
quietly  on  the  bed,  there  was  no  one  in  the  room. 
Will,  whom  I  had  expected  to  see  at  once,  was  not 
visible.  The  sergeant  stepped  across  to  the  powder- 
ing closet,  then  stooped  down  to  look  under  the  bed, 
only  to  shake  his  head  in  perplexity;  and,  though  I 
tried  not  to  show  it,  I  was  as  amazed  as  he,  for  I 
had  been  as  certain  as  I  could  be  of  anything  in  this 
world  that  we  should  find  my  brother  in  that  room. 

"  Your  pardon,  Madam,"  said  the  sergeant,  back- 
ing out  and  closing  the  door. 

As  he  did  so  a  voice  spoke  from  behind  us. 

"  You  seem  to  be  searching  for  some  one,  ser- 
geant? " 

At  the  words  we  all  turned  and  there,  dressed  in  a 
Continental  uniform  as  I  had  left  him,  save  that  he 
was  now  without  a  coat,  stood  Roger  Delancy  look- 
ing coolly  at  us.  I  had  forgotten  him  completely 
and  I  stared  as  if  he  had  been  a  ghost. 

The  sergeant  seemed  surprised,  too,  but  he  recov- 
ered himself  instantly. 

"Seize  him!"  he  cried.  "  'Tis  our  man!" 
And  then  to  Roger,  "  'Twill  be  useless  to  struggle. 
We  have  five  men  here  and  more  below,  so  don't 
be  making  trouble  for  yourself." 

Two  of  the  soldiers  stepped  forward  and  seized 
him,  and  Roger  uttered  no  protest,  though  I  expected 
him  to  proclaim  himself  a  British  officer.  But  he 
did  naught  of  the  kind,  only  looked  down  at  me  with 
a  slight  smile. 

"  You  did  what  you  could,  Polly,  and  —  and  — 
I  can  never  thank  you  enough."  Again  he  turned 
to  the  sergeant.  "  Madam  Trotter  is  very  ill,  as 


The  British  Take  a  Prisoner  211 

her  daughter  here  has  doubtless  told  you,  and  this 
commotion  will  only  add  to  her  sufferings.  Let  us 
go  at  once." 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  replied  the  sergeant.  "  Have 
I  your  word  that  you  will  not  attempt  to  escape?  " 

"  Ay,"  said  Roger.  "  'Twould  be  useless  to  try, 
sergeant." 

"  You  gave  us  a  pretty  chase  though  and  I  don't 
want  another.  But  a  gentleman  keeps  his  word  even 
in  the  Americas  they  tell  me,  so  I  will  e'en  trust  you. 
Forward !  "  He  gave  the  command  roughly  and 
Roger  led  the  soldiers  down  the  stairs  with  a  marked 
limp. 

The  sergeant  loitered  for  a  moment  and  I,  fear- 
ing the  amazement  that  was  in  my  face  would  be- 
tray for  the  second  time  the  mistake  he  was  making, 
took  the  advice  he  himself  had  given  me  and,  putting 
my  hands  to  my  eyes,  pretended  to  sob  violently. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Miss,"  the  man  said  gently,  laying  a 
kindly  hand  on  my  arm,  "  but  'tis  the  way  of  war. 
You're  a  brave  girl  and  I  hope  for  your  sake  that 
our  prisoner  will  be  exchanged.  Good-bye,  and 
good  luck  to  you." 

But  though  I  knew  that  a  mistake  had  been  made, 
I  stood  for  several  minutes  after  they  had  gone  pon- 
dering on  the  matter  before  it  came  plain  to  me. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A   FAREWELL 

THE  sound  of  the  front  door  closing  assured 
me  that  the  sergeant  had  departed  with  his 
prisoner  and  I  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 
Exactly  what  had  happened  I  did  not  know  but  one 
thing  at  least  was  clear;  Roger  had  given  himself 
up  deliberately,  and  the  British  soldiers,  seeing  him 
dressed  as  a  Continental,  were  satisfied  that  they 
had  captured  the  man  they  sought. 

So  far  Will  was  safe,  but  what  had  become  of 
him? 

With  a  bound  I  mounted  the  stairs  and  rushed  to 
his  room.  There  he  was,  stretched  out  on  the  bed, 
looking  very  white  and  exhausted  but  smiling  hap- 
pily, nevertheless. 

"  Come  right  in!  "  he  exclaimed,  teasingly;  but  I 
paid  scant  heed  to  his  raillery. 

"I  thought  to  find  you  in  mother's  room?"  I 
cried. 

"Nay,  in  decency  I  could  not  go  there  to  be 
taken,"  he  answered,  "  so  I  hobbled  up  here  —  to 
find  a  rascally  red-coat  in  possession !  " 

"  Then  you've  seen  Roger?  "  I  burst  out. 

"  To  be  sure,"  he  replied,  "  but  how  comes  it  that 
you  harbour  a  pernicious  Britisher  in  this  honest 
house?  " 

"  Have  done  with  your  foolery  and  tell  me  what 
happened,"  I  insisted.  "  I  clean  forgot  Roger." 

"  So  he  said,"  Will  laughed.     "  He's  been  starv- 

212 


A  Farewell  213 

ing  on  a  few  dry  biscuits  and  a  jug  of  water.  'Tis 
scarce  generous  treatment  of  a  guest." 

"  He  was  no  guest  but  a  prisoner,"  I  retorted,  a 
little  resentfully,  though  I  could  not  tell  why. 

"  He  proved  a  good  friend,"  Will  went  on  more 
soberly.  "  We  were  so  surprised  to  see  each  other 
that  before  we  knew  it  our  hands  were  clasped  for 
the  sake  of  old  times.  Then  he  saw  how  matters 
stood  and  took  my  place.  We  may  fight  on  dif- 
ferent sides,  but  there  stands  no  quarrel  between  us 
personally  now." 

"  He  will  be  let  go,"  I  asserted. 

"  Ay,  the  minute  he  gets  to  his  own  camp,"  Will 
agreed,  "  but,  for  all  that,  we  owe  him  something 
for  saving  my  life." 

"  Nay,  the  score  is  even,"  I  answered,  "  for  I 
saved  his." 

"  So  Roger  told  me,"  said  Will;  "  but,"  he  added, 
looking  at  me  curiously  for  a  moment,  "  what's 
wrong  'twixt  you  and  Roger?  " 

"  Naught,"  I  replied  shortly,  "  the  score  is  even, 
that  is  all." 

"  I  used  to  think  you  liked  him,"  Will  insisted. 
"  Sure  you  were  ready  enough  to  defend  him  once  if 
I  so  much  as  hinted  at  a  criticism." 

"  He  was  a  friend  —  then,"  I  made  answer. 

"  And  so  he  is  —  to-day,"  Will  began. 

"  Nay,  he  is  our  enemy,"  I  interrupted,  "  but  we 
have  more  important  matters  to  think  of  now.  I 
must  away  to  mother  and  were  I  you  I  should  try 
to  make  up  some  of  my  lost  sleep." 

"  Faith,"  he  laughed,  "  I'd  best  do  as  I'm  told, 
lest  I  be  treated  like  poor  Roger." 

"  Poor  Roger !  "  I  burst  out.  "  Had  you  seen 
our  soldiers,  as  I  did,  after  they  had  battled  on  Long 
Island,  you'd  have  had  little  sympathy  for  those 


214  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

who  brought  them  to  such  a  sorry  pass.  Poor 
Roger,  indeed !  He's  one  of  the  British  officers  who 
are  driving  our  men  out  of  the  city,  killing  them  and 
—  and—" 

My  voice  broke,  tears  filled  my  eyes  in  a  flood, 
and  I  ran  from  the  room  scarce  knowing  why,  on  a 
sudden,  I  should  feel  the  way  I  did  toward  Roger 
Delancy.  But  I  was  at  pains  to  compose  myself  be- 
fore I  faced  mother,  for  I  had  no  wish  to  add  my 
troubles  to  her  worries. 

I  found  her  calm,  but  curious  to  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  British  sergeant's  visit  and  I  saw  at  once 
that  she  had  no  suspicion  of  its  purport. 

'Twas  Will  they  sought,  mother,"  I  said. 
"  They  didn't  catch  him,"  I  hastened  to  add,  seeing 
her  eyes  widening  with  apprehension. 

"  Tell  your  tale,"  she  demanded.  "  And,  hiding 
naught,  I  recounted  all  that  had  happened  since  I  had 
started  out  the  day  before  to  find  Will  at  the  shop 
of  Anthony  Lamb. 

Mother  heard  me  out  with  little  or  no  comment, 
but  at  the  end  she  sat  up  against  her  propped  pillows. 

"How  badly  hurt  is  he?"  she  asked,  referring 
to  the  hurt  in  Will's  leg. 

"  I  think  not  seriously,  mother,"  I  assured  her. 
"  It  needs  but  time  to  heal." 

She  remained  a  moment  in  deep  thought,  then  be- 
gan to  stir  about  in  the  bed. 

"  'Tis  high  time  I  was  out  of  this,  Mary!  "  she 
exclaimed,  showing  a  strength  and  energy  I  scarce 
would  have  believed  she  possessed.  "  I've  been 
here  too  long  already." 

"  But,  mother  — "  I  began,  in  protest. 

u  Nay,  I  shall  never  be  well  so  long  as  I  lie  a-bed 
doing  naught,"  she  went  on.  "  Oh,  I  shall  not  be 
foolish,"  she  added.  "  But  there  must  be  a  begin- 


A  Farewell  215 

ning.  Fetch  me  my  dressing-gown.  I  wish  to  sit 
by  the  window." 

There  was  no  debating  the  matter  further. 
Mother  had  made  up  her  mind,  and  so  determined 
was  her  manner  that  I  felt  it  useless  to  gainsay  her. 
A  few  minutes  later  I  had  her  seated  by  the  window 
overlooking  the  garden,  and  she  seemed  to  gain  in 
strength  with  her  resolve  to  be  quit  of  the  bed. 

Unthinking,  I  would  have  stayed  longer  to  talk  to 
her  of  the  events  which  had  transpired  in  the  last 
few  days,  but  she  reminded  me  of  Will  and  his  needs, 
bidding  me  go  at  once  and  have  broth  and  posset 
made  against  his  awakening. 

"  He  must  be  strengthened  ere  he  attempts  to 
escape,"  she  warned  me. 

"  Escape !  "  I  echoed  vacantly,  not  catching  her 
meaning. 

"  Ay,"  mother  answered,  "  did  you  not  tell  me 
that  the  city  was  in  the  hands  of  the  British?  " 

'Twas  then  for  the  first  time  I  realized  Will's  pre- 
dicament. He  was  a  prisoner  in  the  house  and 
dared  not  show  himself  outside  for  a  moment  else 
would  the  British  soldiery,  who  now  held  New  York, 
seize  him.  Our  army,  which  had  been  in  possession 
only  that  morning,  had  fled,  and  until  they  retook  the 
town  there  would  be  no  more  visits  from  father  or 
Mr.  Hale,  and  the  other  Continental  officers  who 
were  wont  to  come  and  go.  I  had  been  so  much 
occupied  with  Will's  escape  that  I  had  had  no  time 
to  speculate  on  the  alteration  in  our  circumstances. 
Indeed  it  was  not  until  several  days  had  passed  that 
I  reached  a  full  understanding  of  how  complete  the 
change  was. 

Mother  and  I  agreed  that  it  was  best  to  tell  Betty 
at  once  that  Will  was  in  the  house,  for  although  we 
might  have  made  shift  to  keep  him  hidden  even  from 


2i6  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

her,  there  was  little  to  be  gained  by  concealment. 
We  ran  some  risk  of  her  inadvertently  betraying  his 
presence  should  a  further  search  be  made,  but  at 
the  time  we  had  small  fear  of  that. 

I  found  her  in  the  kitchen,  looking  very  spick  and 
span  in  a  fresh  dress,  and  busy  at  her  work  as  if 
nothing  out  of  the  ordinary  had  happened.  At 
sight  of  her  I  began  to  wonder  where  she  could 
have  been  while  the  sergeant  and  his  men  were  going 
through  the  house;  for  now  that  I  thought  of  the 
matter,  I  remembered  that  she  had  never  appeared. 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Betty?  "  I  asked.  "  Did 
you  go  out  in  the  street  while  the  soldiers  were 
here?" 

"  No'm,  Miss  Polly,  I  didn't  seein'  there  was  a 
soldier  man  right  at  that  very  door,  barrin'  my  way," 
she  answered  resentfully. 

"Were  you  in  the  house  all  the  time?"  I  ques- 
tioned. 

"  Not  'zackly  in  the  house,  Miss  Polly,"  she  re- 
plied. "  Nor  yet  I  wasn't  'zackly  out  of  the  house." 

"Where  on  earth  were  you,  Betty?"  I  insisted, 
becoming  more  and  more  mystified. 

"  I  weren't  'zackly  on  the  earth  neither,  Miss 
Polly,"  she  replied  tantalizingly. 

"  You  must  have  been  somewhere.  Tell  me  at 
once !  "  I  demanded. 

"  Well,  if  you  must  know,  Miss  Polly,  I  were  in 
the  rain-bar'el!  " 

"  The  rain-barrel !  "  I  repeated  in  astonishment. 

"  Yes'm,  the  rain-bar'el,"  she  went  on,  voluble 
now  that  she  had  at  last  betrayed  her  hiding-place. 
"You'll  be  thinkin'  I  was  scared  of  them  soldiers; 
but  'tweren't  so,  Miss  Polly,  'deed  it  'tweren't. 
Seemed  like  I  didn't  have  no  control  of  myself  no- 
how, and  when  I  heard  all  that  knockin'  an' 


A  Farewell  217 

poundin'  I  jes'  naturally  went  away,  and  the  fust 
thing  I  knew  I  was  a-clamberin'  out  of  the  winder 
of  my  room  an'  floppin'  into  the  rain-bar'el. 
'Tweren't  till  then  I  rightly  come  to  myself." 

"  But  why  — "  I  began. 

"Why?"  she  exclaimed,  cutting  in  upon  my 
speech.  "Why?  'Case  there  was  four  feet  o' 
water  in  that  bar'el  an'  I  thought  I  was  sure 
drowned.  Weren't  that  enough  to  bring  a  body 
to  their  senses?  An'  to  prove  I  weren't  scared  of 
them  soldiers  I  jes'  naturally  clum  right  out  ag'in 
as  fast  as  ever  I  could.  Don't  know  what  got  into 
ol'  Betty,  actin'  that  a-way;  but  it  sure  was  kind  o' 
damp  in  that  bar'el." 

She  ended,  still  shaking  her  head  in  perplexity, 
and  I  was  at  pains  to  suppress  a  strong  desire  to 
laugh ;  yet  her  experience  had  put  a  thought  into  my 
head.  The  rain-barrel,  into  which  Betty  had 
popped,  was  a  great  cistern  set  beside  the  wash- 
house  over  which  were  the  servant-quarters.  Our 
drinking  water  we  had  from  one  or  other  of  the 
public  pumps,  but  for  all  domestic  purposes  we  used 
the  rain  gathered  into  this  butt  which  was  outside 
the  window  of  Betty's  bedchamber,  and  it  flashed 
across  my  mind  that  here,  if  only  the  water  was 
drawn  off,  was  a  most  excellent  hiding-place. 

I  said  naught  of  this  to  Betty  at  the  time  but  told 
her  of  Will's  escape  and  of  his  presence  in  the  house. 

"  Land  sakes,  Miss  Polly!  "  she  exclaimed,  "  ain't 
that  boy  the  greatest  on  earth  fo'  comin'  back?  " 

"  He's  upstairs  in  his  room  at  this  minute,"  I  said. 

"  Deary  dear,"  she  muttered,  "  and  I  thought  he'd 
done  got  clear  away.  Why,  Miss  Polly,  this  town 
is  jes'  full  of  them  pesterin'  British." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  Betty,"  I  replied,  assuming  a  con- 
fidence I  was  far  from  feeling,  "  we'll  have  to  keep 


2i8  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

him  hidden  till  he's  strong  enough  to  get  away  in 
the  night.  Meanwhile  he  must  have  food  a-plenty." 

Here  was  a  matter  which  needed  no  puzzling 
over,  and  Betty  went  to  work  with  a  will. 

The  rest  of  that  day  I  busied  myself  attending 
on  my  two  invalids.  Will,  after  a  hearty  meal  went 
off  to  sleep  again  like  a  baby,  not  waking  till  nigh 
dusk.  Mother,  after  a  few  hours  at  her  window, 
deemed  it  prudent  to  go  back  to  bed,  though  she 
protested  that  she  could  have  remained  up  much 
longer  had  it  been  necessary. 

At  even  all  three  of  us  had  tea  in  her  room  to- 
gether, Will  insisting  upon  hobbling  downstairs ;  and, 
in  spite  of  our  anxieties,  we  were  brave  enough  to 
be  happy  in  the  present  rather  than  to  dwell  upon 
the  possible  dangers  that  might  be  in  store  for  us, 
as  many  folk  are  wont  to  do. 

Will,  of  course,  laughed  and  joked,  and  it  was 
quite  a  merry  little  meal  we  had,  eaten  from  a  tray 
beside  mother's  bed,  talking  over  what  we  should  do, 
with  entire  confidence  that  all  our  plans  would  be 
successful. 

I  was  surprised  to  find  how  firmly  resolved  mother 
was  to  quit  New  York  at  the  first  opportunity.  She 
vowed  that  she  could  not  remain  there  while  the 
British  held  possession,  and  I  verily  believe  that, 
had  we  urged  it,  she  would  have  been  ready  to  make 
the  attempt  to  leave  that  night,  so  determined  was 
she.  This  however,  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  We 
women-folk  needs  must  wait  till  Will  could  make 
the  necessary  arrangements  for  us  and,  on  account 
of  his  injured  leg,  it  was  settled  that  he  should  not 
move  until  the  next  night. 

It  may  appear  that  we  took  this  matter  of  Will's 
escape  very  lightly,  seeing  that  the  British  held  the 
town,  yet  it  was  not  until  my  brother  explained  it 


A  Farewell  219 

to  mother  and  me  that  I  saw  a  clear  road  to  our 
freedom.  He  said  we  had  but  to  win  to  the  river 
to  find  patriots  a-plenty  who  would  row  us  up  the 
stream  to  our  own  camp  above  the  Heights  of  Har- 
lem. Will  assured  us  he  would  have  no  difficulty 
in  getting  away  himself  and  could  find  a  man  both 
willing  and  able  to  undertake  our  flight,  but  first  he 
must  spy  out  how  lay  the  land. 

"  Our  chief  hazard  will  be  in  getting  to  the  river 
shore,"  he  told  us  confidently.  "  And  at  night  we 
shall  have  little  trouble.  The  British  are  slow- 
pokes. It  will  be  weeks  ere  they  have  the  city  fully 
guarded." 

"  And  by  that  time,  mayhap,  we  may  have  beaten 
them  and  won  it  back  again,"  I  put  in  hopefully. 

"Mayhap,"  Will  answered,  a  trifle  ruefully,  for 
in  truth  we  had  little  expectation  of  any  such  good 
fortune. 

However,  we  anticipated  no  great  hindrance  to 
our  slipping  out  of  New  York,  and  indeed  talked 
much  of  seeing  father  when  we  should  have  gained 
the  Continental  camp;  after  which  we  could  journey 
on  to  Uncle  James's  as  we  had  planned  to  do  before 
mother's  illness. 

In  the  midst  of  our  happy  talk  a  sharp  rat-tat-tat 
on  the  front  door  silenced  us  on  the  instant.  In  the 
circumstances  such  a  summons  was  likely  to  be  the 
signal  for  a  calamity  and  mother  and  I  glanced  at 
each  other  apprehensively,  both  thinking  of  Will's 
safety. 

I  rose  to  my  feet  intending  to  go  down  at  once 
but  my  brother  stayed  me. 

"  Let    Betty    bring    the    news,"    he    whispered. 

'Twill  give  us  a  little  more  time  in  case  — "  He 
ended  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders,  but  'twas  not 
hard  to  take  his  meaning. 


220  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

So  we  waited,  straining  our  ears  to  catch  a  sound 
that  might  give  a  clue  to  the  identity  of  our  visitor, 
but  naught  reached  us  till  we  heard  Betty  mounting 
the  stairs. 

She  entered  the  room  with  a  broad  smile  on  her 
face  and  'twas  plain  that  she  brought  no  ill  tidings. 

"  Mister  Roger  Delancy  sen's  his  respec's  to 
Madam  Trotter  an'  says  may  he  have  a  word  with 
Miss  Polly,  please  ma'am,"  she  announced  with 
much  formality. 

Mother  gave  a  little  sigh  of  relief  and  nodded  to 
me  with  a  smile.  Will,  with  a  sly  glance,  leaned 
forward  and  spoke  to  me  in  an  undertone. 

'Tis  not  every  prisoner  who  shows  such  fond- 
ness for  his  jailer,"  he  chuckled  softly. 

But  I  heeded  not  his  words.  I  dreaded  the  scene 
I  knew  lay  before  me  and  yet  I  could  not  shirk  it. 
I  would  have  given  nigh  anything  could  I  have 
escaped  seeing  Roger  then,  but  I  knew  that  I  must 
meet  him,  face  to  face,  at  least  once  again. 

As  I  rose  to  leave  the  room  Will  halted  me  a  mo- 
ment. 

"  Do  not  tell  him  I  am  still  here,"  he  whispered. 
'*  There  is  no  necessity  to  strain  his  conscience  more 
than  need  be  —  and  Polly,"  he  added,  earnestly, 
"  don't  forget  that  he  saved  your  brother's  life !  " 

There  was  more  meaning  in  his  speech  than  his 
words  showed,  and  even  then  it  occurred  to  me  how 
passing  strange  it  was  that  Will  should  be  pleading 
with  me  in  Roger's  behalf;  but  I  was  little  like  to 
forget  that  service,  nor  a  hundred  other  things  that 
must  be  laid  to  Roger's  credit;  yet  against  them 
there  was  one  fact  that  outweighed  all. 

It  was  with  a  heavy,  heavy  heart  that  I  went  down 
the  stairs  to  meet  one  very  dear  to  me,  believing  that 
in  all  likelihood  I  would  never  see  him  again  save 


A  Farewell  221 

by  some  accident.  The  bitterness  I  had  felt  that 
morning,  when,  on  a  sudden,  I  had  realized  my 
changed  feelings,  had  passed  away,  and  with  the 
passing  had  come  a  clear  vision  of  my  duty  to  myself 
and  to  Roger  as  well. 

I  found  him  pacing  the  room  impatiently,  but  as 
I  entered  he  sprang  toward  me  and,  ere  I  knew  it, 
held  both  my  hands  in  his. 

"  Polly,  dear,"  he  cried,  "  I  just  couldn't  wait  a 
minute  longer  to  see  you !  " 

I  looked  up  into  his  face,  and  the  light  in  his 
eyes  confirmed  his  words.  He  was  glad  to  see  me, 
there  was  no  doubt  of  that,  and  'twas  useless  to  deny, 
even  to  myself,  that  the  sight  of  him  brought  a  joy 
to  my  heart.  He  was  so  big,  and  so  manly,  and  so 
honest  withal,  that  no  one  could  help  liking  him,  and 
I,  who  had  known  him  for  years,  had  never  found 
him  aught  but  thoughtful  of  my  welfare  and  the 
happiest  companion  in  all  the  world. 

He  was  dressed  bravely  in  a  captain's  uniform 
and  to  my  thinking  was  very  handsome,  tricked  out 
in  all  his  finery,  but  oh,  how  glad  I  would  have  been, 
had  the  gilded  buttons  borne  another  emblem  than 
that  of  the  British  crown.  There  lay  the  barrier  be- 
tween us,  and  the  gay  attire  that  so  well  set  off  his 
fine  figure  was  the  sign  of  all  that  made  our  further 
friendship  impossible. 

"  Now  that  Will  and  I  have  settled  our  silly  quar- 
rel," he  went  on  gaily,  "  I  can  come  to  the  house  as 
in  the  old  days.  But  you  don't  seem  very  glad  to 
see  your  prisoner  again." 

"  Yes,  I  am,"  I  answered  with  truth,  withdrawing 
my  hands  from  his  and  seating  myself.  "  I  want 
to  thank  you  for  what  you  did  for  Will." 

"  Oh,  Polly !  "  he  cried,  taking  a  chair  opposite 
me,  "why  should  there  be  thanks  between  us?  I 


222  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

could  do  no  less,  seeing  that  you  had  saved  my  life." 

"  We'll  cry  quits  then,"  I  said,  though  'twas  not 
a  gracious  speech. 

"  Nay,  we'll  do  no  such  thing,"  he  insisted.  "  I 
prefer  not  to  forget  my  debt  to  you.  But  speaking 
of  Will,"  he  went  on  hurriedly,  "  I  have  no  wish  to 
know  aught  of  his  whereabouts;  but  were  I  he,  and 
found  myself  in  New  York,  I  should  not  delay  to 
quit  the  town.  We  mean  to  guard  it  close." 

He  intended  the  words  to  be  a  kindly  warning, 
and  I  doubted  not  in  telling  me  this,  took  liberties 
with  his  strict  duties,  but  to  my  ears  there  was  some- 
thing of  a  threat  in  his  speech,  though  I  knew  he  had 
no  such  thought  in  his  mind. 

"  Do  not  let  us  talk  of  Will,"  I  said,  for  I  had  no 
wish  to  be  further  beholden  to  him,  "  there  is  some- 
thing I  must  say  to  you." 

He  noted  the  seriousness  of  my  manner  and  be- 
came grave  on  the  instant. 

"  What  is  it,  Polly?  "  he  asked.  "  I  knew  there 
was  something  amiss  the  moment  I  came  in." 

I  would  gladly  have  spared  Roger  unnecessary 
pain,  and  searched  about  in  my  mind  for  words  to 
ease  the  blow,  but  I  was  ever  blunt  of  speech  and 
could  only  blurt  out  what  I  had  to  say. 

4  You  must  not  come  to  see  me  again, ""I  declared 
with  as  much  positiveness  as  I  could  muster. 

He  looked  at  me  a  moment  as  if  not  able  to  com- 
prehend what  I  had  said. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  about,  Polly?  "  he  asked. 
"  Know  you  not  that  Will  and  I  have  made  up  our 
quarrel?  " 

"  This  has  naught  to  do  with  Will,"  I  told  him. 
"  'Tis  a  matter  betwixt  us,  Roger,  and  'tis  not  a 
quarrel,  at  least  of  our  making." 

"  Of  course,  there  is  no  quarrel  between  us,"  he 


A  Farewell  223 

assented.  "How  could  there  be?  I  don't  under- 
stand, Polly." 

"  Can't  you  see,  Roger,"  I  explained,  "  that  we 
can't  be  friends  and  enemies,  too?" 

"  Enemies !  "  he  repeated  vaguely,  and  then  on 
a  sudden  he  took  my  meaning.  "  Is  it  because  I  am 
fighting  for  the  King?" 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  I  replied. 

"  But,  Polly,  you  said  a  year  ago,  when  first  I  went 
to  Boston,  that  this  war  could  make  no  difference 
between  us,"  he  asserted. 

"  Ay,  but  that  was  a  year  ago,"  I  murmured. 

"  Is  it  Hamilton?  "  he  burst  out,  and  I  saw  the 
light  of  jealousy  leap  into  his  eyes. 

"  Nay,  Roger,  it  is  not  Mr.  Hamilton,"  I  said  as 
gently  as  I  could.  "  Surely  it  is  enough  that  you  are 
against  all  I  hold  most  dear." 

"  But  what  has  a  maid  to  do  with  politics?  "  he 
challenged. 

"  Naught,  perhaps,"  I  assented,  "  but  when  war 
comes  'tis  not  the  men  only  who  have  parts  to  play. 
I,  too,  am  a  patriot!  " 

"  What  is  that  between  us?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Everything!  "  I  declared  solemnly. 

He  looked  at  me  in  silence  for  a  time,  then  strode 
across  the  room  restlessly. 

"  I  don't  understand,  Polly,"  he  burst  out,  and 
in  truth  I  knew  he  did  not.  "  I  think  no  less  of 
your  father  and  Will  because  we  differ  honestly  over 
what  is  best  for  these  Colonies.  I  think  they  are 
wrong  to  take  up  arms  against  the  King  —  but  I 
love  them  none  the  less  on  that  account.  Why  then, 
should  you,  who  are  outside  the  conflict,  let  this 
wretched  war  come  between  us?  " 

"  But  I  am  not  outside  the  conflict,"  I  insisted 
warmly.  "  The  patriot  cause  is  the  cause  of  every 


224  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

man,  woman  and  child  in  our  land.  Could  I  shoot 
a  musket  I  should  be  with  our  soldiers;  but,  failing 
that,  I  must  do  what  comes  to  my  hand,  though  'tis 
little  enough." 

"  You're  not  the  old  Polly  any  more,"  he  sighed. 

"  Ay,  there  you're  right,"  I  agreed. 

"But  what  has  changed  you?"  he  questioned. 
"  You  had  no  such  thoughts  as  these  a  year  ago." 

"  I  was  a  child  then,"  I  answered,  with  more  truth 
than  even  I  realized.  "  I  knew  naught  of  what  war 
meant,  and  thought  to  thrust  it  out  of  my  life.  I 
said  to  myself  that  it  was  all  politics  — " 

"  And  so  it  is,  Polly,"  ^  Roger  cut  in.  "  Tis  all 
the  work  of  selfish  politicians  on  both  sides." 

"  Nay,"  I  protested,  rising  to  my  feet,  angered 
at  his  scornful  tones.  "  You  English  may  be  ruled 
by  selfish  men,  but  with  us  'tis  different.  Think  you 
Mr.  Washington  or  Mr.  Franklin  are  seeking  aught 
for  their  own  advantages?  " 

"  How  can  a  maid  know  what  may  be  in  the  minds 
of  such  fellows?  "  he  retorted  with  a  sneer  upon  his 
lips. 

"  Because  I  have  seen  and  talked  to  those  who 
have  followed  them,"  I  returned. 

"  Oh,  young  captains,"  he  said,  with  a  derisive 
laugh.  "  'Tis  a  kind  of  junket  for  them,  and  — " 

"  Should  you  chance  to  meet  Mr.  Nathan  Hale 
you  would  learn  better,"  I  interrupted. 

"  They  can  all  talk,  I  grant  you,"  he  mocked, 
"  and  'tis  evident  you  have  been  carried  away  by 
their  endless  oratory." 

It  was  so  plain  that  he  could  see  no  side  but  his 
own  that  my  resentment  cooled.  To  argue  further 
was  useless  for  I  doubted  not  the  honesty  of  his  con- 
victions, yet  I  did  want  him  to  understand  how  I 
felt  about  the  matter. 


A  Farewell  225 

"  Listen,  Roger,"  I  began  earnestly;  "  'tis  not  talk 
that  has  changed  me,  though  I  grant  you  I  have 
heard  a  deal  of  that.  How  it  has  come  about  I 
scarce  know  myself,  but  oh,  Roger,  I  cannot  think 
of  the  poor  soldiers  that  your  men  drove  out  of 
Long  Island,  without  a  pain  in  my  heart.  I  saw 
them  wounded,  hungry  and  well-nigh  dropping  with 
fatigue,  and  heard  their  pitiful  cries  of  joy  at  the 
sight  of  the  little  food  I  could  offer  them.  I  had 
called  myself  a  patriot  before,  but,  when  I  saw  how 
brave  they  were  to  meet  death,  I  asked  myself  why 
they  did  it." 

"And  could  you  find  an  answer?"  Roger  ques- 
tioned soberly. 

"  Ay,  the  real  one,"  I  told  him.  "  They  were 
ready  to  give  up  their  lives  so  that  those  that  came 
after  them  might  be  free.  They  were  ready  to  go 
to  their  graves  for  the  cause  they  believed  in,  and 
that  cause  was  mine,  too.  I  want  to  be  a  patriot 
in  more  than  words  —  how  then  can  I  be  the  friend 
of  one  who  is  an  enemy  to  those  who  suffer  for  my 
country." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  we  shall  never  be  friends 
again?"  Roger  asked. 

"  How  can  we  be?  "  I  answered. 

"  Polly,  I'll  give  up  my  commission  in  the  army. 
I'll  do  anything  for  your  sake,"  he  burst  out. 

"  But  in  your  heart  you  would  be  an  enemy  still." 

"  Nay,  and  you  must  have  the  truth  there  is 
naught  but  you  in  my  heart !  "  cried  Roger.  "  Say 
the  word  and  I'll  give  up  my  sword  on  the  morrow." 

I  shook  my  head  sadly. 

'Tis  not  my  word  that  must  decide  the  matter," 
I  said.  "  I  would  not  have  you  change  for  no  better 
reason  than  that.  No,  Roger,  we  must  say  good- 
bye," and  I  held  out  my  hand  to  him. 


226  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Do  you  really  mean  that  I  must  not  come 
back?  "  he  faltered,  his  voice  breaking  as  he  spoke. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  "  there  is  no  other  way." 

He  looked  at  me  searchingly  for  an  instant,  then 
seizing  my  hand  he  kissed  it,  and  the  next  moment 
passed  quickly  out  of  the  house. 

For  a  time  I  stood  as  he  had  left  me,  unconscious 
of  aught  but  a  great  ache  in  my  heart.  Dumbly  I 
turned  to  go  upstairs,  but  had  not  the  courage  to 
face  mother  and  Will  then,  so  I  sought  the  surgery 
and  threw  myself  upon  the  couch,  letting  my  tears 
flow  as  they  would. 

Surely,  if  to  send  Roger  away  was  a  measure  of 
my  love  for  my  country,  then  indeed  was  I  a  patriot. 


Seizing  my  hand  he  kissed  it  and  the  next  moment  passed 
swiftly  out  of  the  house. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

UNWELCOME   GUESTS 

IT  is  perhaps  fortunate  that  I  had  little  leisure 
after  Roger's  departure.  To  be  sure  I  hadn't 
seen  him  for  a  year  or  more  and  had  even 
thought  of  him  as  dead,  but  the  hope  that  he  might 
be  alive  had  never  been  wholly  abandoned.  Now 
he  had  come  back  to  me  only  to  go  again,  leaving  an 
empty  place  in  my  life,  and  had  I  found  the  time  to 
dwell  upon  the  sorrow  of  it  I  should  have  passed 
many  hours  of  misery.  As  it  was,  my  anxieties  for 
those  dear  to  me  kept  my  mind  on  other  matters, 
and  it  was  only  when  night  came  that  my  pillow  was 
sometimes  wet  with  tears  ere  I  went  to  sleep. 

I  was  scarce  dressed  next  morning  when  a  great 
hammering  on  the  front  door  set  my  heart  a-pound- 
ing  for  fear  that  another  search  for  Will  was  about 
to  be  made,  and  I  hurried  down  stairs. 

Betty  was  ahead  of  me  and  as  I  reached  the  en- 
trance she  glanced  at  me  with  apprehension. 

And  well  she  might  for  there  stood  a  British  ser- 
geant with  half  a  dozen  men  behind  him.  It  seemed 
as  if  my  worst  fears  were  about  to  be  realized  and 
there  was  a  huge  lump  in  my  throat,  but  I  nerved 
myself  to  face  them  as  bravely  as  I  might. 

"  Whose  house  is  this?  "  the  sergeant  demanded, 
abruptly. 

'Tis  the  house  of  Dr.  Trotter,  sir,"  I  answered 
politely,  lest  I  should  anger  him. 

227 


228  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

" Where  is  he?"  he  asked. 

"  He  is  away  upon  his  duty,"  I  replied  readily. 

"Duty?     What  duty? '\ 

"  For  a  doctor,  sir,  'tis  attendance  upon  his 
patients." 

"  And  these  patients?  Are  they  rebels  or  Loyal- 
ists? "  he  snapped. 

"  Father  physics  both,"  I  answered  after  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation.  "  I've  heard  him  declare  that 
sickness  takes  no  account  of  politics,  favouring 
neither  King  nor  Congress." 

"  Ha !  "  he  grunted.  "  'Tis  a  wise  and  wily  man 
who  can  please  both  sides.  But  'twill  scarce  gull  me. 
Paint  the  letter,  Bill!"  And  forthwith  a  man 
armed  with  naught  more  warlike  than  a  pot  of  paint 
and  a  broad  brush,  scrawled  a  huge  red  "  R  "  upon 
the  door  of  our  house 

"What  does  that  mean?"  I  asked,  and  a  titter 
went  up  at  my  evident  dismay. 

"  It  means  that  this  is  a  rebel  house,  young 
missy,"  the  sergeant  answered,  "  and  you  may  take 
it  from  me  that  we  shall  keep  a  good  watch  upon  it 
in  case  the  doctor  returns  on  a  sudden." 

With  that  they  went  off  to  another  dwelling  and  so 
marked  many  throughout  the  city. 

For  myself  I  cared  naught  what  the  British  might 
paint  upon  the  door,  and  had  no  fear  that  father 
would  return  that  way,  but  two  facts  were  evident 
from  this  visit;  first  that  the  British  were  prompt  to 
force  their  rule  upon  the  city  and  second;  that  a 
special  watch  would  now  be  kept  upon  our  house, 
tnus  adding  one  more  obstacle  to  Will's  escape. 

But  this  was  by  no  means  the  end  of  our  difficul- 
ties for  I  had  scarce  reached  the  top  stair  again  on 
my  way  to  Will's  room  when  another  sharp  bang 
on  the  door  brought  me  to  a  halt. 


Unwelcome  Guests  229 

"  Fo'  the  land  sake  who's  comin'  now?  "  I  heard 
Betty  mutter,  as  she  went  back  to  answer  this  second 
summons. 

I  ran  down  and  was  just  behind  her  as  she  admitted 
a  group  of  British  officers,  who  pushed  through  into 
the.  passage  with  scant  ceremony.  A  rather  elderly 
man  led  and,  seeing  me,  scowled  darkly. 

"  Where  is  the  mistress  of  this  rebel  house?  "  he 
demanded,  without  any  compliment  of  hat  or 
greeting. 

"  That  duty  is  mine,  sir,"  I  replied,  "  seeing  that 
my  mother  is  ill." 

"  Humph !  "  he  grunted,  and  without  further  ado 
began  an  inspection  of  the  first  floor  followed  by  two 
or  three  younger  officers. 

My  one  thought,  of  course,  was  that  another  party 
had  come  for  Will,  and  a  great  fear  entered  my 
heart  for  I  could  see  no  way  to  warn  him.  Should 
I  leave  my  unceremonious  visitors  abruptly  any  sus- 
picion they  might  have  entertained  would  be  con- 
firmed and  moreover,  even  should  I  succeed  in  tell- 
ing my  brother  what  was  a-foot,  I  saw  no  ready 
means  for  him  to  escape.  With  a  double  pang  of 
regret  I  realized  that  this  time  there  would  be  no 
Roger  to  save  him. 

But  though  I  was  still  trembling  with  alarm  I  soon 
saw  that  I  was  mistaken  in  our  visitors'  purpose. 
The  elder  officer  seemed  not  to  be  making  any  thor- 
ough search.  He  but  glanced  into  one  room  after 
another,  and  though  now  and  then  he  would  nod  his 
head  as  if  what  he  saw  satisfied  him,  there  was  no 
close  scrutiny  and  I  began  to  have  a  measure  of  hope. 

"  What  rooms  have  you  above?  "  he  asked,  com- 
ing to  a  stop  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

I  told  him,  though  why  he  should  wish  to  know 
was  still  a  mystery. 


230  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  And  do  I  understand  that  you  and  your  mother 
are  the  only  occupants  of  the  house?  "  he  questioned. 

"  There's  Betty,  too,"  I  replied,  indicating  the 
black  servant  at  my  side. 

He  glanced  at  her  sharply  as  if  he  had  been  un- 
aware of  her  presence  till  that  moment,  and  she 
curtsied  politely,  though  I  felt  sure  her  knees  were 
shaking. 

"  You  will  take  three,"  he  informed  me,  and  made 
a  move  to  leave. 

"  Three  what,  sir?  "  I  asked  blankly. 

"  Officers,"  he  said,  shortly. 

"  Soldiers  here !  "  I  cried  in  dismay. 

"Ay,  why  not?"  he  demanded,  his  thin  jaws 
coming  together  with  a  snap. 

"  My  mother,  sir,  is  very  ill  and  — ." 

"  Your  mother  need  not  be  disturbed,"  he  inter- 
rupted. "  The  officers  of  His  Majesty's  service  are 
gentlemen." 

"  But,  sir,"  I  pleaded,  "  there  are  hundreds  of 
empty  houses  in  the  town.  Cannot  these  officers 
take  one  of  them?" 

"  Nay,  an  empty  house  holds  a  cold  welcome," 
he  answered,  with  a  grim  chuckle. 

"  I'm  but  an  indifferent  housekeeper,  sir,"  I  began, 
but  again  he  cut  me  short. 

"  Enough,"  he  retorted  angrily.  "  'Tis  plain  you 
are  an  unwilling  hostess.  Nevertheless,  you  will 
have  three  officers  quartered  on  you,  and  if  you  take 
my  advice  you  will  prepare  at  once  for  their  recep- 
tion. We  mean  to  teach  the  rebels  of  this  city  where 
their  duty  lies." 

With  a  curt  nod  he  turned  his  back  upon  me  and 
stalked  out  of  the  house,  followed  by  the  others. 

For  a  moment  or  two  Betty  and  I  gazed  at  each 
other  in  consternation. 


Unwelcome  Guests  231 

"  Sakes  alive,  Miss  Polly !  "  Betty  exclaimed  at 
length,  "  how  is  we-all  gwine  to  feed  them  hungry 
soldier  mens?  " 

Her  words  brought  me  back  to  my  senses  and  I 
started  up  the  stairs. 

"  Come,  Betty,  I'll  need  your  help,"  I  called  to 
her.  "  As  to  feeding  the  British  officers,  that  must 
take  care  of  itself  when  the  time  comes.  We  have 
graver  things  to  occupy  us  now." 

I  hurried  to  Will's  room,  Betty  following  more 
slowly,  and  found  him  seated  at  the  window  with 
his  injured  leg  propped  up  on  a  chair.  He  was  fully 
dressed  and  I  was  amazed  that  a  night's  rest  could 
have  altered  his  appearance  so  much  for  the  better. 
He  seemed  strong,  alert  and  ready  for  any  emer- 
gency, so  that  for  the  moment  my  joy  at  seeing  him 
so  well  recovered  put  all  other  thoughts  out  of  my 
head. 

1  You're  better,  Will!  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Ay,  I'm  fit  for  anything  —  when  I've  had  some 
breakfast,"  he  added  with  a  laugh. 

"  And  how  is  your  poor  leg?  "  I  asked. 

"  'Tis  nigh  as  good  as  ever,"  he  answered,  get- 
ting to  his  feet,  and  limping  about  the  room  to 
show  me.  "  I'm  keeping  it  cocked  up  so  that  it 
will  be  well  healed  against  my  adventure  to- 
night." 

This  brought  me  with  a  jerk  to  the  difficulties 
ahead  of  us. 

"  I  fear  you  cannot  wait  until  to-night,  Will,"  I 
said. 

"What's  up,  sis?"  he  asked,  noting  the  anxiety 
in  my  voice. 

"  The  house  is  marked  with  a  great  red  '  R '  to 
show  that  we  are  rebels,  and  we  are  to  have  three 
officers  quartered  upon  us."  I  rattled  off  the  words 


232  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

in  one  breath  in  an  effort  to  give  him  the  whole  of 
my  news  at  once. 

"Humm!  The  Britishers  are  not  so  slow  as  I 
thought,"  he  murmured,  half  to  himself.  "  When 
do  you  expect  your  new  guests?  " 

"  I  was  ordered  to  prepare  for  them  at  once,"  I 
answered. 

"  'Twill  be  awkward,"  he  said  absently,  shaking 
his  head  in  perplexity. 

"  Will  it  not  be  best  for  you  to  leave  before  they 
come?"  I  suggested. 

"  Nay,  'tis  impossible  to  slip  through  in  the  day- 
time," he  replied.  "  I  have  been  peeping  out  from 
behind  the  curtains,  and  the  city  is  alive  with  bloody- 
backs.  I  think  they  must  have  brought  their  entire 
army  in.  No,  I  can't  go  to-night,  Polly." 

"  Then  you  must  e'en  hide  somewhere,"  I  de- 
clared. "  This  room  will  be  taken  by  one  of  the 
officers,  another  must  have  my  room  and  the  third 
the  spare  chamber.  Where  can  I  put  you?  " 

"  There's  the  rain-bar'el,  Miss  Polly,"  Betty  sug- 
gested, having  come  in  as  we  talked.  "  I  done  let 
out  the  water  jes'  in  case,"  she  added. 

"  'Tis  well  thought  of,"  I  agreed,  heartily. 
"  You  can  stay  safe  in  the  cistern  till  it  is  dark." 

"  Nay,"  said  Will,  with  a  positive  shake  of  his 
head,  "  I'll  not  sit  in  a  damp  rain-barrel  with  this 
leg  of  mine  for  all  the  British  in  the  Americas.  I'll 
stay  quiet  with  mother  till  dark.  'Twill  be  as  safe 
as  a  church.  The  officers  are  scarce  brutes  enough 
to  disturb  a  lady  when  she  is  ill." 

"  Ay,  they  said  as  much,"  I  assented,  and  so  the 
matter  was  settled. 

Will  went  down  at  once,  while  Betty  and  I  began 
setting  his  chamber  in  order,  taking  good  care  to  put 
out  of  sight  all  evidence  of  his  recent  occupation; 


Unwelcome  Guests  233 

for  it  was  in  my  mind  to  conceal  the  very  fact  that 
I  had  a  brother  if  I  could  manage  it. 

Betty  and  I  worked  hard,  but  there  was  still  much 
to  be  done  when  a  third  summons  interrupted  us. 

"  There  they  is  now,"  Betty  half  sobbed. 

"  Nay,  'tis  too  soon,"  I  answered,  as  I  left  her  to 
finish  and  went  myself  to  see  who  knocked. 

On  opening  the  door  I  faced  a  young  officer  who 
was  quite  different  from  any  one  I  had  ever  seen 
before.  My  brother  Will  had  no  taste  for  finery, 
deeming  such  fallals  fit  only  for  women.  Indeed, 
he  was  rather  inclined  to  poke  fun  at  Roger,  who 
had  a  liking  for  rich  velvets  and  at  Mr.  Hamilton, 
who  was  accounted  a  great  dandy;  but  even  these 
would  have  appeared  ill-habited  beside  the  master- 
piece who  greeted  me  upon  the  stoop.  He  was 
small,  well-nigh  insignificant  in  stature,  but  he  man- 
aged to  convey  an  impression  of  distinction  and  ele- 
gancy that  is  difficult  to  put  into  words. 

He  stood  at  the  entrance  holding  up  a  gold  quiz- 
zing-glass and  as  I  curtsied  he  honoured  me  with  a 
bow  which  no  dancing  master  I  had  ever  seen  could 
approach,  so  graceful  was  he  and  withal  so  dignified. 
At  first  sight  this  gentleman  looked  very  young  in- 
deed, but  Tater  I  decided  that  he  must  be  a  man  of 
at  least  thirty  years. 

"Is  it  Madam  Trotter?"  he  asked,  smoothly, 
and  at  my  nod  went  on.  "  I  pray  you  pardon  this 
intrusion,  which  I  vow  is  inexcusable,  and  remember 
in  my  favour  that  I  am  but  a  pawn  in  the  game.  I 
must  e'en  go  where  I  am  sent,  but  I  shall  do  my 
utmost  to  make  my  residence  as  little  irksome  to 
you  as  possible." 

I  saw  that  here  was  the  first  of  my  unwelcome 
guests,  but  his  words  reassured  me  somewhat  and 
I  was  about  to  acknowledge  his  courtesy  when  he 


234  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

stepped  into  the  house  and  closed  the  door  behind 
him,  still  talking  as  if  he  had  a  speech  to  make  and 
wished  no  interruption  till  it  was  finished. 

"  'Tis  little  I  require.  A  pallet  of  straw  for  my- 
self and  a  bed  on  the  floor  for  my  servant.  The 
only  favour  I  would  ask  of  you  is  a  pair  of  silken 
sheets,  for  I  find  it  impossible  to  sleep  'twixt  home- 
spun. As  for  food,  my  tastes  are  simple.  Orto- 
lans, cooked  with  slices  of  China  ginger,  or  larks' 
tongues  seethed  in  milk — " 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  a  double  knock  on  the 
door  and  with  a  glance  of  annoyance  went  on 
hurriedly. 

"  'Tis  the  others,  no  doubt,  and  I  call  you  to  wit- 
ness, Mistress  Trotter,  ma'am,  that  I  was  first  upon 
the  ground;  for  '  first  come  is  first  served '  in  these 
rough  campaigns." 

I  could  not  but  smile  at  my  pretty  gentleman's 
anxiety  as  I  opened  the  door  to  admit  two  other 
officers,  one  of  whom  was  bluff  and  ready,  while  the 
third  was  considerably  older  and  had  a  foreign  air 
about  him. 

"Egad,  Hauptman!"  cried  the  first  of  these, 
"  we're  none  too  soon.  *  Gone  away,'  I  shouted, 
when  I  heard  we  were  to  lodge  together,  and  gave 
the  view  hello !  Off  we  trotted,  hot  upon  the  scent 
and—" 

"  And  arrive'  late !  "  the  third  officer  interrupted, 
and  at  his  speech  with  its  marked  German  accent,  I 
knew  that  here  we  had  one  of  the  dreaded  Hessians 
to  deal  with. 

"  Ay,"  agreed  the  younger  man  readily,  "  he  has 
the  edge  on  us. —  And  I  lay  you  five  to  seven  he  has 
already  asked  for  ortolans  with  ginger." 

"  I  take  you,"  said  the  Hessian,  solemnly,  "  and 
to  you  I'll  say  'tis  larks'  tongues  seethed  in  milk." 


Unwelcome  Guests  235 

With  great  seriousness  the  two  gentlemen  drew 
forth  their  tablets  to  enter  these  wagers,  ignoring 
the  little  dandy  who  stood  silently  regarding  them 
through  his  quizzing-glass  with  an  expression  of 
utter  weariness  in  his  face. 

"And  now  who  wins?"  demanded  the  younger 
man  gaily,  looking  to  me  for  an  answer. 

Though  I  had  been  brought  up  to  abhor  gambling 
I  could  not,  for  the  life  of  me  forbear  a  smile. 

"  He  asked  for  ortolans,"  I  said  to  the  English- 
man, and  would  have  gone  on  but  he  cut  me  short 
with  a  great  shout  of  triumph. 

"  Ah,  ha !  "  he  cried  in  high  good  humour,  "  hand 
over  the  yellow  boys,  Hauptman." 

With  no  very  good  grace  the  Hessian  drew  forth 
a  netted  purse  and  counted  out  the  money,  giving  up 
the  coins  with  evident  reluctance. 

"  But  he  also  asked  for  larks'  tongues  seethed  in 
milk!  "  I  explained,  as  the  money  changed  hands. 

"  The  glutton !  "  exclaimed  the  young  man,  giving 
back  the  gold  pieces  cheerfully.  "  Who  would  have 
thought  he'd  ask  for  both?  " 

"Thinking  differs  from  laughing,  in  that  he  who 
thinks  first  thinks  best,"  drawled  the  dandy,  speaking 
to  no  one  in  particular. 

"  Ay,  Dawson,  with  all  your  foppery  you're  quick 
enough  when  your  comfort  is  concerned,"  the  young 
Englishman  commented  merrily. 

"  If  you  will  permit  me,  Mistress  Trotter,"  our 
macaroni  went  on,  addressing  me  and  ignoring  his 
friend,  "  I  shall  be  glad  to  present  these  noisy  per- 
sons to  you.  This,"  he  waved  a  hand  airily  toward 
the  Hessian,  "  is  Herr  Adelbert  Hauptman.  This," 
languidly  indicating  the  young  Englishman,  "  is  Lieu- 
tenant, the  Honourable  Ethelbert  Mauleverer 
Scott—" 


236  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Scotty,  for  short,"  put  in  the  incorrigible  youth 
with  a  loud  laugh. 

"  And  I,"  the  dandy  continued,  scorning  the  in- 
terruption, "  am  Captain  Laurence  Dawson,  your 
obedient  and  humble  servant  to  command." 

He  ended  with  a  most  elaborate  bow,  and  I 
curtsied  to  each  of  the  men  in  turn,  who  acknowl- 
edged it  most  ceremoniously. 

"  Gentlemen,"  I  said,  thinking  it  as  good  a  time 
as  any  to  speak  my  mind  to  them,  "  that  you  may  be 
comfortable  in  this  house  is  my  hope,  but  if  you  have 
come  expecting  luxuries  I  fear  you  are  doomed  to 
disappointment.  My  mother  is  ill.  All  of  our 
trained  servants  have  fled  at  the  approach  of  your 
armies,  and  it  is  scarce  possible  to  secure  the  bare 
necessities;  so  that  there  will  be  no  flummeries  and 
such  like." 

"  Nay,  Mistress  Trotter,  do  not  worry  on  our 
account,"  said  Mr.  Scott  heartily.  "  Give  us  what 
you  have  and  we  shall  be  more  than  thankful.  As 
for  Dawson  and  his  ortolans  — " 

"  Your  pardon,  Scotty,"  the  exquisite  captain 
broke  in,  "  Dawson  hath  a  tongue  of  his  own.  Mis- 
tress Trotter,"  he  went  on,  turning  to  me,  "  I  allow 
no  man  to  exceed  me  in  consideration.  I  shall  do 
my  humble  best  to  make  our  presence  in  your  home 
as  little  irksome  as  the  exigencies  of  the  position  per- 
mit. As  for  the  ortolans  —  eh  —  oh  —  ah !  " 

His  voice  rose  in  a  little  sing-song  and  he  ended 
with  a  graceful  wave  of  his  hand  skyward,  as  if  waft- 
ing away  for  all  time  a  subject  in  which  he  had  no 
further  interest. 

The  ready  courtesy  of  the  two  Englishmen  quite 
won  me  to  them,  and  I  confess  that  neither  then  nor 
later  could  I  muster  any  degree  of  hatred  for  the 
mannerly  gentlemen  who  were  indeed  the  enemies  of 


Unwelcome  Guests  237 

my  country  but  ever  thoughtful  and  considerate  of 
mother  and  me. 

As  for  Herr  Adelbert  Hauptman,  the  Hessian,  I 
noted  at  the  time  that  he  uttered  no  expression  of 
regret  for  the  trouble  his  presence  might  entail  nor 
any  promise  to  ease  the  burden  of  it. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

AN   OPEN   DOOR 

IT  was  perfectly  evident  from  the  beginning  that 
the  relations  between  the  two  Englishmen  and 
the  Hessian  officer  were  none  too  cordial. 
This  became  apparent  when,  in  selecting  which 
rooms  they  should  occupy,  Captain  Dawson,  who 
was  entitled  to  the  spare-room,  elected  to  share 
Will's  quarters  upon  the  third  floor  with  Mr.  Scott 
because  he  refused  to  see  me  put  to  inconveniency 
by  giving  up  my  chamber  to  the  German.  This 
quite  won  my  regard,  for  although  Ihad  determined 
to  sleep  with  mother  in  any  case,  by  this  arrange- 
ment my  belongings  were  in  no  wise  disturbed.  At 
this  time  it  scarce  seemed  to  make  any  difference  how 
our  enforced  guests  disposed  themselves,  but  no  later 
than  that  night  I  found  that  many  anxious  days  might 
have  been  spared  us  had  Herr  Hauptman  been  more 
popular  with  his  fellow  officers. 

By  this  arrangement,  however,  there  was  little  to 
do  in  preparation  once  Will's  room  was  in  order, 
and  I  left  the  men  to  install  themselves  as  they 
pleased.  This  they  did  promptly  and  soon  order- 
lies were  coming  and  going,  bearing  bags,  boxes  and 
despatch  boxes  innumerable.  They  made  an  office 
for  themselves  in  the  surgery  and  I  may  say  here 
that  they  were  busy  all  the  day  and  often  well  into 
the  night. 

My  chief  concern  was,  of  course,  for  Will.  The 
presence  of  the  strangers  added  many  times  to  the 

238 


An  Open  Door  239 

danger  of  his  being  discovered  and  kept  me  on  ten- 
ter-hooks for  fear  a  chance  word  or  an  accidental 
noise  might  betray  him.  He  was  safe,  for  the  time 
being  at  least,  in  the  little  powdering-closet  adjoin- 
ing mother's  room,  as  all  the  officers  were  at  great 
pains  not  to  disturb  her.  Indeed,  'twas  as  good  as 
a  play  to  see  Dandy  Dawson,  as  Mr.  Scott  called 
him,  go  mincing  by  the  door  on  tiptoe  lest  the  patient 
within  be  annoyed,  an  example  which  the  others  were 
prompt  to  follow;  for  in  spite  of  his  womanish  ways 
and  pretty  vanities  Captain  Dawson  was  no  weak- 
ling and,  when  he  was  so  minded,  put  a  force  into 
his  politest  speeches  that  made  him  much  looked-up 
to  by  his  fellows. 

Notwithstanding  their  consideration  it  was  with 
considerable  impatience  that  I  awaited  the  nightfall, 
desiring  to  see  Will  started  upon  his  journey.  I 
lost  sight  of  the  hazard  he  was  like  to  encounter 
outside  of  the  house  in  view  of  the  closer  menace 
within. 

And  Will  himself  held  to  this  opinion  of  the  mat- 
ter, or  at  least  so  he  expressed  himself. 

"  Once  away  from  here  I  shall  be  all  right,"  he 
whispered  confidently,  as  we  talked  it  over  in  moth- 
er's room.  "  When  they  are  sound  asleep  I  shall 
steal  down,  and  none  will  be  the  wiser." 

So  certain  was  I  of  the  success  of  his  plan  that  I 
fretted  only  that  the  hours  passed  so  slowly.  And 
until  evening  naught  happened  to  shake  this  con- 
fidence. 

At  noontime,  while  the  officers  were  having  their 
dinner,  I  loaded  a  tray  with  food  enough  for  all  and 
took  it  upstairs  where  we  three  had  a  happy,  though 
very  silent  meal  together.  Mother,  firm  in  her  de- 
termination to  grow  strong  against  the  time  when  we 
could  quit  New  York,  sat  in  a  chair  before  the  little 


240  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

sewing-table  whereon  I  had  set  the  tray  and  seemed 
to  improve  hourly. 

Again  at  eventide  we  had  a  hearty  supper  for, 
thinking  it  more  than  probable  that  he  might  be  de- 
layed upon  the  road,  I  was  minded  to  have  Will  well 
fortified  for  his  journey,  and  to  this  I  lay  the  start 
of  the  suspicion  that  upset  our  project. 

Following  my  plan  of  dinner-time,  I  carried  our 
supper  upstairs  while  the  officers  were  at  table  and, 
when  we  had  eaten,  piled  the  dishes  upon  the  tray 
intent  upon  returning  them  to  the  kitchen  while  our 
guests  lingered  over  their  walnuts.  With  Will  out 
of  sight  in  the  powdering-closet,  I  left  the  room  in- 
cautiously, having  little  fear  of  meeting  anybody. 
I  was  obliged  to  place  the  tray  on  the  floor  of  the 
hall  in  order  to  close  the  door  behind  me  and  as  I 
stooped  to  pick  it  up  again  I  heard  some  one  come 
bounding  up  the  stairs.  I  straightened  with  my  bur- 
den and  faced  Herr  Hauptman  just  as  he  reached 
the  top  step. 

He  looked  surprised,  moved  back  a  pace  to  let 
me  pass,  and  then  his  glance  fell  upon  the  tray  I 
carried. 

"  It  is  a  heavy  load  for  a  miss  to  carry,"  he  said, 
lifting  his  bushy  brows,  but  I  noted  he  made  no  effort 
to  relieve  me. 

"  'Tis  not  too  heavy,"  I  replied,  and  was  for  going 
on,  but  he  made  a  motion  as  if  to  bar  my  way. 

"  Your  mother  has  a  fine  appetite  for  an  invalid," 
he  commented,  gazing  down  upon  the  empty  dishes. 

"  I,  too,  must  eat,"  I  told  him  boldly. 

"  Ach  so !  "  he  murmured,  his  harsh  accent  more 
pronounced  than  ever.  "  Still,  even  for  a  stout 
girl  — "  He  shrugged  and  turned  his  look  upon 
mother's  door,  shaking  his  head  thoughtfully  the 
while. 


An  Open  Door  241 

He  seemed  in  two  minds  what  to  do,  and  I  grew 
fearful  lest  he  should  push  his  inquiry  further.  So 
for  a  moment  we  stood  in  silence.  Then,  with  never 
a  civil  word,  he  passed  me  and  went  straight  to  the 
guest-chamber  at  the  end  of  the  hall. 

I  saw  naught  in  this  incident  to  cause  me  any  great 
alarm,  but  it  made  me  uneasy,  and,  after  depositing 
my  dishes  in  the  kitchen,  I  hurried  back  to  tell  Will 
of  it. 

He  made  light  of  the  affair  as  was  his  wont,  and 
so  I  was  reassured,  nevertheless  I  could  not  deny 
that  it  would  be  a  huge  relief  to  have  him  quit  of 
the  house,  and  we  settled  down  to  wait  as  patiently 
as  we  could  for  the  time  of  his  escape. 

Our  plan  was  simple  enough.  After  nightfall, 
once  the  streets  had  grown  quiet,  I  was  to  make  sure 
the  coast  was  clear  inside,  whereupon  Will  would 
slip  down  the  stairs  and  out  the  back  by  way  of  the 
garden.  We  reckoned  eleven  the  right  hour  and, 
when  at  length  it  struck,  Will  kissed  us  both  good- 
bye, reminding  us  again  of  the  plans  he  had  for  get- 
ting us  out  of  the  city. 

"  I  will  see  you  soon  again,  mother  dear,"  I  heard 
him  whisper,  and  I  blew  out  the  candles  ere  I  ven- 
tured forth  to  spy  whether  or  no  any  one  was  about. 

It  was  understood  that  Will  was  to  await  my  re- 
turn from  this  inspection  of  the  lower  floor  and  the 
garden,  so  I  opened  the  door  softly  and  stepped 
forth.  But  at  the  threshold  I  halted,  scarce  able  to 
suppress  a  cry.  Our  way  was  blocked  at  the  very 
outset,  for  there  was  Herr  Hauptman,  sitting  at  the 
little  desk  in  the  guest-chamber  with  his  door  set 
wide  so  that  he  had  a  view  of  the  entire  length  of 
the  hallway.  He  held  a  pen  as  if  he  had  been  writ- 
ing, but  even  the  slight  click  of  mother's  latch  had 
attracted  his  attention  and  he  was  looking  at  me 


242  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

over  his  shoulder.  His  face  was  in  shadow  so  that 
I  could  not  see  the  expression  of  it,  but  his  motion- 
less figure  gave  an  impression  of  sinister  vigilance 
and  I  was  minded  of  a  cat  watching  a  mouse-hole. 
For  an  instant  I  was  about  to  turn  back,  but  realized 
in  time  that  this  would  but  confirm  any  suspicion  he 
might  have,  so,  with  a  firm  step  albeit  my  knees 
shook,  I  went  to  my  own  room.  There  I  opened  a 
drawer  in  the  press,  took  out  the  first  garment  my 
hand  touched,  and  at  some  pains  to  make  a  noise  as 
I  closed  it,  returned  to  mother's  room  without  haste. 
As  I  entered,  I  looked  back  at  Herr  Hauptman. 
He  had  not  moved  a  hair's  breadth  but  still  sat 
slightly  bent  forward  across  the  desk,  as  if  crouched 
and  ready  on  the  instant  to  spring.  I  shuddered  as 
I  went  in  and  closed  the  door  behind  me. 

;'  Is  all  safe,  Polly?  "  Will  whispered. 

"  Hush !  "  I  murmured,  and  at  the  tone  he  guessed 
that  something  was  amiss. 

"What  is  it?  "  he  asked,  his  mouth  close  to  my 
ear. 

"  I  think  we  are  watched,"  I  answered,  "  come 
away  from  the  door.  He  may  be  listening." 

We  went  to  mother's  bed  on  tip-toe.  There,  with 
our  heads  together,  and  but  half-breathing  the 
words,  I  told  them  the  situation. 

"  Without  doubt  the  Hessian  has  some  sus- 
picions," said  Will. 

"  Ay,"  murmured  mother,  "  and  we  dare  do 
naught  to  confirm  it. 

"  He'll  soon  tire  of  his  task,"  Will  declared,  con- 
fidently. 

"  But  'twill  be  a  risk  to  let  Mary  go  out  again," 
mother  cautioned.  "  Will  it  not  seem  strange  to 
have  her  going  in  and  out  at  night  in  this  way?  " 

"  Jhat's  well  thought  of,"  Will  agreed. 


An  Open  Door  243 

"  Nay,  I  could  try  once  again  safely,"  I  predicted. 
"  In  an  hour  or  two  I  can  go  to  the  kitchen  to  seek  a 
posset  for  mother.  'Twill  seem  but  natural  for  an 
invalid,  and  — " 

"  Ay,  that's  a  likely  plan,"  my  brother  inter- 
rupted, and  so  'twas  settled. 

While  we  waited  I  went  into  the  closet  and  donned 
a  dressing-wrapper,  braided  my  hair  into  two  tight 
pig-tails  and  slipped  on  my  slippers.  This  I  did  in 
order  that  it  might  look  as  if  I  had  but  newly 
risen  from  my  bed,  should  I  meet  any  one  upon  the 
way. 

'Twas  well  past  midnight  when  I  set  forth  again 
and  for  an  instant  hope  sprang  up  in  my  breast  for 
the  candles  were  out  in  the  Hessian's  chamber.  But 
the  next  moment  my  spirits  drooped.  In  the  dim 
light  I  made  out  that  the  door  of  his  room  still  stood 
open  and  I  could  not  be  certain  that  the  man  slept. 

But  I  was  not  left  long  in  doubt.  Out  of  the 
darkness  came  the  harsh  voice  of  Herr  Hauptman. 

"  Is  aught  amiss?  "  he  asked,  and  though  I  could 
not  see  him  for  the  gloom,  I  guessed  he  stood  just 
within  the  chamber. 

"  Nay,  I  go  for  mother's  posset,"  I  answered,  but 
my  lips  trembled  with  fear  and  vexation,  and  I  was 
thankful  he  could  not  see  me. 

"  I  regret  I  cannot  help  you  with  that,"  he  re- 
marked, "  but  should  aught  occur  where  I  can  be 
of  service,  I  beg  you  will  summon  me.  You  will  not 
need  to  call  loud  for  I  am  a  light,  a  so  light  sleeper, 
Miss  Trotter." 

The  words  were  polite  enough  and  I  could  do  no 
less  than  murmur  hurried  thanks,  but  there  was 
menace  rather  than  courtesy  in  his  speech  and  I  sped 
to  the  kitchen  knowing  well  that  my  brother  dare  not 
quit  the  house  that  night. 


244  Po%  Trotter,  Patriot 

I  returned  betimes  with  the  milk  and  wine  and 
told  my  tale  to  mother  and  Will.  They,  too,  saw 
the  danger  of  any  further  attempt,  and  that  there 
was  naught  for  it  but  to  wait  through  another  day. 
We  tried  to  get  what  sleep  we  could,  poor  Will  being 
obliged  to  stretch  himself  out  on  the  floor  of  the 
closet,  but  my  slumbers  were  fitful  and  I  dreamed 
more  than  once  of  Herr  Hauptman  seated  at  the 
desk,  gazing  malevolently  at  me  over  his  left 
shoulder. 

Yet  on  the  following  day  there  was  naught  to 
show  that  the  Hessian  officer  even  harboured  a  sus- 
picion. He  greeted  me  as  politely  as  he  knew  how, 
going  about  his  business  with  complete  indifference, 
so  far  as  I  could  judge,  to  my  comings  and  goings. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  I  saw  little  of  him  or  the  others 
for  I  kept  away  from  the  front  of  the  house  as  much 
as  I  could. 

When  we  talked  the  matter  over  in  mother's  room 
our  confidence  returned  and  we  concluded  that  Herr 
Hauptman's  actions  of  the  night  before  had  no  par- 
ticular significance,  though  of  this  I  was  not  wholly 
satisfied.  At  any  rate  we  looked  forward  hopefully 
to  Will's  escape  that  night,  only  to  be  disappointed 
again,  for  once  more  the  Hessian  kept  wide  his  door 
and  Will  dared  not  venture  forth.  It  was  exasper- 
ating enough  to  strain  the  stoutest  fortitude.  In 
three  strides  from  mother's  room  my  brother  would 
be  out  of  sight  of  this  silent  watcher;  but  though 
the  distance  was  short  'twas  long  enough  to  hang 
him  an  he  tried  to  compass  it. 

We  strove  to  bolster  up  our  courage  by  telling 
each  other  that  it  was  mere  accident  and  that  the 
next  night  our  chance  would  come,  but  I  cannot  think 
any  of  us  really  believed  it  now,  though  Will  lacked 
not  the  pluck  to  laugh  silently  at  our  alarms. 


An  Open  Door  245 

Another  day  came  and  with  it  an  end  to  all  doubt. 
Early  in  the  forenoon,  bent  upon  some  errand  I  have 
now  forgotten,  I  had  just  passed  the  open  door  of 
the  surgery  when  the  grating  voice  of  Herr  Haupt- 
man  brought  me  to  a  sudden  stop  all  a-tremble. 

"  But  I  insist  that  the  room  shall  be  searched," 
he  stated  loudly. 

"  Ah,  yes,  so  you  said  before,"  said  Captain  Daw- 
son  suavely.  "  And  I  must  point  out  once,  more, 
Herr  Hauptman,  that  'tis  not  the  British  custom  to 
war  on  invalids  and  children." 

"Yes,  you  English  are  fools!"  the  Hessian 
blurted  out. 

"  In  your  teeth,  sir!  "  Mr.  Scott  cried  angrily,  and 
I  heard  a  chair  pushed  back. 

"  This  Hessian  dog  needs  a  lesson  in  the  civilities," 
came  the  calm  accents  of  Dandy  Dawson,  "  which 
I  shall  be  most  happy  to  bestow." 

The  next  instant  I  heard  the  rattle  of  a  blade  be- 
ing drawn  from  its  scabbard  and,  returning  to  the 
door,  looked  into  the  room. 

'Twas  not  Captain  Dawson's  weapon  that  had 
made  the  ominous  noise.  That  exquisite  gentleman 
stood  calmly  before  the  wrathful  foreigner,  as  im- 
perturbable as  ever,  daintily  turning  back  the  lace 
ruffles  at  his  wrists  while  the  Hessian,  brandishing  his 
naked  sword,  growled  not  unlike  the  animal  to  which 
he  had  just  been  compared. 

"  Nay,  Dawson !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Scott,  "  there 
is  no  need  to  soil  the  best  blade  in  the  army  to  teach 
this  fellow  manners.  I'll  put  him  through  his  paces," 
and  his  hand  went  to  his  side  as  he  stepped  before  the 
Captain. 

"  Oh,  I  pray  you,"  I  cried  in  panic,  "  do  not  quar- 
rel, gentlemen.  Remember  that  my  mother  is  ill 
and  that  her  room  is  just  above." 


246  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

Mr.  Scott's  face  showed  something  of  disappoint- 
ment as  they  all  turned,  but  Captain  Dawson  looked 
both  grieved  and  embarrassed. 

"  A  thousand  pardons,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  said, 
coming  toward  me.  "  I  fear  there  is  no  excuse  for 
our  unseemly  brawling,  but  I  assure  you  'twill  go  no 
further." 

"  Not  here,"  Mr.  Scott,  put  in  with  an  angry  glance 
at  Herr  Hauptman,  "  but  there  are  other  times  and 
places." 

"  I  but  do  my  duty,"  the  Hessian  interrupted,  "  and 
for  my  heated  words  I  offer  you  apology;  but  as  to 
the  matter  which  brought  about  this  controversy, 
that  I  shall  see  through,  though  it  take  me  to  head- 
quarters! " 

There  was  no  doubt  that  the  man  meant  what  he 
said  and  Captain  Dawson  exchanged  a  glance  with 
Mr.  Scott  that  showed  a  resignation  to  the  inevitable. 
As  for  me,  my  heart  sank  at  the  prospect  ahead  of 
me,  for  I  could  not  escape  from  this  difficulty. 

"  Be  so  kind  as  to  be  seated,  Mistress  Trotter," 
Captain  Dawson  begged,  placing  a  chair  for  me  by 
the  table. 

I  did  as  he  asked  and  tried  to  summon  courage  to 
face  the  ordeal,  but  the  strain  of  the  situation  was 
telling  on  me  and  'twas  all  I  could  manage  to  hold 
back  my  tears  for  the  time  being. 

The  other  gentlemen  seated  themselves  and  the 
quizzing  began. 

"  'Tis  a  vastly  delicate  matter,  Mistress  Trotter," 
the  dandy  hesitated,  but  Mr.  Scott  cut  him  short. 

"  Nay,  you  can  put  it  in  a  nutshell,"  he  said  ir- 
ritably, as  if  he  hated  the  business  and  would  have 
done  with  it  quickly.  "  Herr  Hauptman  wishes  to 
search  your  mother's  room.  Why  we  do  not  know, 
—  but  he  says  — " 


An  Open  Door  247 

"  'Tis  as  a  precaution,"  the  Hessian  broke  in. 
"  How  can  we  tell  she  has  not  some  spy  concealed 
there?" 

"  We  can  not,  absolutely,  I  suppose,"  Mr.  Scott 
admitted,  "  but  I  vow  'tis  a  sin  to  harry  a  child  and 
an  invalid." 

"  You  will  observe,  Mistress  Trotter,"  Captain 
Dawson  began,  "  that  Mr.  Scott  and  your  most 
obedient  have  no  wish  to  pry  into  your  private  ar- 
rangements." 

"  Egad,  I  should  think  not !  "  declared  Mr.  Scott, 
wholly  disgusted. 

"  But  Herr  Hauptman  means  to  press  the  mat- 
ter," the  Captain  went  on,  "  and  we  are  therefore, 
most  reluctantly  obliged  to  take  some  action.  'Tis 
most  distasteful  to  us.  Perchance  you  can  suggest  a 
way  out  of  the  difficulty?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  'tis  not  four  days  since  that  a  sergeant 
and  half  a  dozen  troopers  searched  the  house  from 
top  to  bottom,"  I  faltered,  my  distress  mastering 
me. 

"  Did  they  look  into  your  mother's  room?"  de- 
manded the  Hessian. 

"  Ay,  that  they  did,"  I  answered,  my  voice  full  of 
tears,  "  and  I  feared  the  shock  would  kill  her." 

"  I  pray  you,  do  not  grieve  so,"  Captain  Dawson 
said,  with  sincere  concern  in  his  voice.  "  It  desolates 
me  to  see  you  suffer  at  our  hands." 

"  'Tis  for  my  mother  I  am  fearful,"  I  replied. 

"  Tell  us  whether  or  not  there  is  any  one  else  in 
her  room  now?"  Herr  Hauptman  insisted,  and  to 
do  him  justice  I  think  he,  too,  was  a  little  touched  at 
my  misery. 

"  Nay,  you  would  not  believe  me,"  I  sobbed. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  as  if  what  I  said  was 
indeed  true. 


248  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  There's  naught  for  it  but  a  search  of  the  room," 
he  muttered,  and  I  was  sure  Will  must  be  taken. 

"  Oh,  please,  Captain  Dawson,"  I  cried  appeal- 
ingly,  "  don't  do  that !  I  dare  not  think  of  the  shock 
to  my  mother  if  more  soldiers  broke  in  upon  her. 
She  is  nigh  distracted  now,  with  worry  and  — " 

I  stopped,  for  Captain  Dawson  and  Mr.  Scott 
were  looking  over  my  head  at  something  behind  me. 
My  back  was  to  the  entrance  of  the  room,  but  in- 
stinctively I  turned  and  there,  framed  in  the  door- 
way, stood  Mr.  Nathan  Hale,  bowing  smilingly  to 
my  enemies. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE   SCHOOLMASTER   PAYS   A   VISIT 

THE  sight  of  Mr.  Hale  so  dum founded  me  that 
I  sat  with  my  mouth  a-gape,  staring  at  him 
as  if  he  were  a  ghost.  He  was  dressed 
plainly  in  a  full-skirted  coat,  dark  knee-breeches  and 
square-toed  shoes  with  brass  buckles.  In  his  hand 
he  twitched  a  schoolmaster's  hat  of  dull  brown  or 
black,  and  his  appearance  contrasted  mightily  with 
the  remembrance  I  had  of  him  when  last  he  was  in 
our  house.  Then  he  was  brave  and  erect  in  his  bear- 
ing, while  now  he  stood  slightly  bent,  humble  in  mein, 
with  a  supplicating  smile  upon  his  lips. 

"  Egad,  'tis  our  schoolmaster !  "  cried  Mr.  Scott, 
and  the  other  men  greeted  him  as  an  old  friend. 

"  I  fear  me  I  intrude  upon  your  duties,  gentle- 
men," Mr.  Hale  remarked,  and  even  his  voice  was 
changed,  for  he  spoke  in  a  nasal  whine,  much  affected 
by  the  pedagogues. 

"  Ay,  we  have  pressing  business,"  grunted  Herr 
Hauptman. 

"  Most  distasteful,  most  distasteful,"  murmured 
Dandy  Dawson,  half  to  himself. 

"  I  regret  exceedingly  to  have  interrupted  upon 
your  useful  labours,"  Mr.  Hale  went  on,  "  but  miss- 
ing you  for  the  last  two  days  I  took  the  liberty  of 
inquiring  your  whereabouts.  Perchance  I  may  call 
again  when  you  have  more  leisure." 

"  Nay,  wait  in  the  next  room  till  we've  finished 
this  pesky  affair,"  suggested  Mr.  Scott. 

249 


250  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Ay,  do  that,"  put  in  Mr.  Dawson.  "  I  vow 
I've  missed  your  drolleries  infinitely.  We  must  ar- 
range for  another  merry  meeting  at  the  coffee-house." 

"  I  await  your  pleasure,  gentlemen,"  Mr.  Hale 
responded,  and  with  a  low  bow  he  walked  softly 
away. 

"  If  all  your  Provincials  were  as  loyal  as  Master 
Squaretoes  we  should  not  be  here,  Mistress  Trotter," 
Mr.  Scott  remarked  to  me.  "  'Tis  no  great  larks 
for  us,  I  can  tell  you." 

But  I  scarce  heard  him.  I  was  too  bewildered 
even  to  think.  Not  once  had  Mr.  Hale  so  much  as 
glanced  in  my  direction,  and  so  different  did  he  seem 
that  now  he  was  gone  I  began  to  doubt  my  senses. 
Could  I  be  mistaken?  I  asked  myself.  In  form  and 
features  the  man  was  no  other  than  Captain  Hale, 
but  there  the  resemblance  ended.  In  naught  else 
was  there  the  slightest  hint  of  the  dashing,  Conti- 
nental officer  who  had  braved  death  to  take  a  British 
sloop  but  a  short  time  back. 

"  And  now,"  said  Mr.  Scott,  "  let  us  be  done  with 
this  plaguey  search." 

Confused  though  I  was,  I  ceased  to  puzzle  over 
the  mystery  of  this  strange  appearance  of  Mr.  Hale 
and  summoned  what  wits  were  left  me  to  save  Will 
if  I  could,  though  I  felt  that  the  battle  was  already 
lost. 

"  Nay,  have  a  thought  for  my  poor  mother,"  I 
begged,  looking  from  one  to  the  other,  for  to  work 
upon  their  compassion  seemed  my  only  hope. 

"  We  shall  be  but  a  minute,"  Herr  Hauptman  re- 
plied, getting  out  of  his  chair  restlessly.  "  She  need 
have  no  fear  of  us." 

And  at  that  I  broke  down  and  wept,  for  I  could  see 
no  way  to  thwart  this  surly  officer  who  was  not  to  be 
moved  from  his  purpose. 


The  Schoolmaster  Pays  a  Visit  251 

"  Egad,  I  can't  support  this,"  declared  Captain 
Dawson.  "  Nay,  do  not  cry,  Miss  Trotter,  1  beg 
of  you." 

"  Will  naught  less  than  a  search  satisfy  you, 
Hauptman?  "  demanded  Mr.  Scott.  "  Must  we  all 
go  blundering  into  a  sickroom  on  a  fool's  errand 
to  ease  your  suspicions?  " 

"  Nay,  we  need  not  all  go,"  retorted  the  Hessian. 
"  I  can  see  for  myself." 

"You  would  not  doubt  my  word,  I  take  it?" 
Captain  Dawson  inquired. 

"  Certainly  not,"  Herr  Hauptman  replied,  a  little 
nettled.  "  I  have  no  wish  to  persecute  a  sick  person. 
All  I  ask  is  that  some  one  I  can  trust  takes  a  look 
about.  'Tis  a  duty." 

"  Come,  Mistress  Trotter,"  Captain  Dawson  went 
on,  laying  a  kindly  hand  on  my  bowed  shoulder,  "  I 
promise  not  to  alarm  your  mother,  and  we  will  have 
it  over  with  in  a  jiffy." 

"  The  mere  sight  of  your  uniform  will  fright  her," 
I  sobbed.  "  She  may  think  you  have  come  to  take 
her  prisoner  and — " 

"  Then  let  the  schoolmaster  go,"  the  Hessian 
burst  out,  more  moved  by  my  tears  than  I  would 
have  expected.  "  He  wears  no  uniform  and  I  have 
heard  him  say  he  knows  something  of  simples.  Take 
him  to  your  mother  in  the  guise  of  a  physician." 

"  Now  that's  well  thought  of,"  cried  Mr.  Scott, 
and  forthwith  called  out  through  the  door.  "  Hey, 
Master  Squaretoes !  We  have  a  mission  for 
you." 

"  I  wait  upon  you  on  the  instant,"  came  the  whin- 
ing reply  from  the  other  room. 

Once  more  my  thought  went  back  to  Mr.  Hale  and 
for  a  moment  it  occurred  to  me  that  here  was  an  es- 
cape from  the  threatened  peril,  but  this  hope  quickly 


252  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

faded.  'Twas  plain  enough  the  man  must  be  a 
traitor  to  be  on  intimate  terms  with  officers  of  the 
King's  army,  and,  after  the  manner  of  traitors,  he 
was  like  to  be  more  ruthless  than  those  who  kept 
faith,  albeit  they  were  enemies.  Had  I  dared  I 
would  have  protested  against  the  suggestion  that  he 
make  the  investigation,  but  I  had  come  to  the  end 
of  my  pleading.  Having  based  my  entreaty  on 
mother's  alarm  at  the  sight  of  a  soldier,  I  could  not 
in  reason  murmur  against  the  schoolmaster. 

"  In  what  way  can  my  poor  talents  serve  you?  " 
asked  Mr.  Hale,  as  he  stepped  into  the  room. 

"  Are  we  mistaken  in  thinking  you  know  some- 
thing of  medicine?  "  asked  Mr.  Scott. 

"  Nay,  I  have  some  small  knowledge  of  the  art  of 
healing,"  was  the  ready  answer.  "  But  I  make  no 
claim  to  any  great  skill." 

Whereupon  Captain  Dawson  aided  by  the  Hes- 
sian who  failed  not  to  point  out  the  need  of  a  thor- 
ough search,  explained  the  situation  while  I,  with 
my  head  bowed  over  the  table,  struggled  to  stifle  the 
dry  sobs  that  shook  me. 

"  I  think  'twill  not  be  beyond  my  small  abilities  to 
personate  a  doctor  for  a  time,"  said  Mr.  Hale  at 
the  end,  "  and  I  promise  you,  Herr  Hauptman,  that 
naught  shall  escape  my  notice.  It  is  no  small  pleas- 
ure, gentlemen,  that  I  find  myself  able  to  be  of 
service." 

At  his  treacherous  words  my  anger  at  the  mean 
part  he  seemed  to  be  playing  dried  up  my  tears  and 
stung  me  into  self-control.  I  lifted  my  head  and 
looked  at  him,  standing  humbly  before  these  officers 
whose  sworn  enemy  he  had  been  but  a  short  time  be- 
fore. Now  he  was  ready  to  fawn  upon  them,  to 
do  their  slightest  bidding,  even  to  betray  an  old  com- 
rade if  need  be. 


The  Schoolmaster  Pays  a  Visit  253 

But  to  Captain  Dawson  this  solution  of  the  diffi- 
culty seemed  a  most  happy  one. 

"  I  am  rejoiced,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  said,  en- 
couragingly, "  that  we  have  been  able  to  resolve  all 
your  doubts.  Sure  your  mother  need  take  no  fright 
at  a  visit  from  a  new  physician,  albeit  he  is  a  school- 
master. Let  me  make  you  known  to  Master  Nathan, 
who  hails,  I  believe,  from  the  Massachusetts." 

"  Your  most  obedient,"  murmured  the  school- 
master, and  as  he  bowed  to  me  our  eyes  met,  while 
for  the  fraction  of  an  instant  I  seemed  to  see  the 
Captain  Hale  I  had  known  before,  for  in  the  glance 
there  was  a  meaning  that  set  my  heart  a-pounding. 

"  Your  pardon,  miss,"  he  went  on,  "  but  I  did  not 
catch  the  name." 

Of  a  sudden  a  light  seemed  to  break  upon  the 
darkest  of  my  doubts  and  a  wild  hope  began  to 
struggle  with  the  fear  in  my  breast. 

"  My  name  is  Polly  Trotter,  sir,"  I  said,  rising  to 
my  feet.  "  I  will  warn  my  mother  to  expect  your 
visit." 

I  waited  not  for  permission,  but  went  straight  out 
of  the  room  and  up  the  steps  in  a  sort  of  daze,  only 
half  conscious  of  an  objection  on  the  part  of  Herr 
Hauptman. 

"Nay,  man!"  I  heard  Mr.  Scott  exclaim,  "we 
can  watch  the  door  from  the  foot  of  the  stair." 

I  found  mother  dressed  and  seated  at  the  win- 
dow. At  sight  of  me  she  straightened  in  her  chair 
and  seemed  to  go  a  shade  paler,  though  there  was 
scant  colour  in  her  face  at  any  time.  Without  doubt 
my  wrought-up  feelings  were  plain  to  be  seen,  for  the 
tears  had  hardly  dried  on  my  swollen  eyelids. 

"What  is  it,  daughter?"  she  implored  me,  as  I 
went  swiftly  to  her. 

"  Oh,  mother,  I  scarce  know  myself,"  I  replied, 


254  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

struggling  to  keep  my  feelings  in  hand,  "  but  the 
Hessian  insists  upon  a  search  and  —  where  is  Will?  " 

"  In  the  powdering-closet  to  be  sure,"  she  an- 
swered, and  in  a  moment  I  had  fetched  him  out. 

*;  Oh,  Will,"  I  murmured,  "  Mr.  Hale  is  down 
stairs  and — " 

"Nathan  Hale?"  he  interrupted,  his  eyes  going 
wide  with  astonishment. 

"Ay,  Nathan  Hale!"  I  answered.  "He's 
dressed  in  the  garb  of  a  schoolmaster  and  is  a  great 
favourite  with  the  British  officers." 

;'  With  the  British  officers !  "  Will  repeated, 
amazed.  "  Are  you  sure  'tis  Hale?  " 

'  There  is  no  doubt  of  it,"  I  answered,  though 
he  is  named  Mr.  Nathan  among  them.  He  seems 
a  traitor,  but  —  but — " 

"Never !  "  Will  broke  in.  "  Not  a  drop  of  blood 
in  his  body  but  beats  for  the  cause." 

"  Yet  is  he  most  friendly  with  our  enemies,  Will," 
I  faltered. 

"  Nay,  an  he  hob-nobbed  with  General  Howe  I 
should  ne'er  doubt  him,"  declared  Will  with  a  loy- 
alty and  positiveness  that  ended  my  lingering  dis- 
trust. "  See  you  not  that  he  is  here  upon  a  mis- 
sion? I  would  as  lief  question  the  patriotism  of 
Washington  as  of  Hale.  What  is  toward?  " 

"  The  Hessian  means  to  search  this  room  — "  I 
began,  but  Will  cut  me  short. 

"  Then  give  me  my  sword  and  let  me  out  of  here," 
he  cried,  the  light  of  battle  coming  into  his  eyes. 
"  I'll  not  be  taken  without  a  fight  for  it,"  and  he 
took  a  step  toward  the  closet  where  lay  his  weapons. 

"  Nay,  Will,  wait,"  I  said,  hurriedly,  clutching 
him  by  the  arm.  "  I  pleaded  with  them  not  to  send 
soldiers  for  fear  of  frighting  mother,  so  Mr.  Hale 
comes  in  their  stead." 


The  Schoolmaster  Pays  a  Visit  255 

He  gazed  at  me  for  a  moment  as  if  he  could  scarce 
believe  me,  then  he  smiled  broadly. 

"  You've  diddled  them  between  you,"  he  chuckled. 
"When  comes  he?" 

"  He  but  tarries  while  I  prepare  mother  for  the 
visit  of  a  new  physician,"  I  answered. 

"  Fetch  him  up,  Polly,"  Will  said,  eagerly.  "  I 
vow  I  can  scarce  wait  to  clasp  his  hand.  Hurry  now 
and  I'll  hide  in  the  closet  to  give  him  a  surprise,  but 
have  a  care  lest  you  betray  him." 

So  confident  was  my  brother  of  Mr.  Hale's  loyalty 
that  my  own  suspicion  was  wholly  set  at  rest  and  I 
went  out  of  the  room  to  the  head  of  the  stairs.  The 
four  waited  below  and,  on  a  signal  from  me,  Mr. 
Hale,  with  a  servile  bow  to  the  others,  slowly 
mounted  the  steps.  Again  doubts  assailed  me. 
There  was  so  much  of  the  cringing  schoolmaster 
about  him,  and  so  little  of  the  gallant  Captain  I 
had  known  that  I  could  not  but  be  fearful.  Never- 
theless I  had  no  choice  and  I  led  him  boldly  into 
mother's  room,  once  more  a  prey  to  all  sorts  of  mis- 
givings. 

But  the  instant  the  door  closed  behind  us  Mr. 
Hale  changed  in  a  twinkling.  The  manners  of  the 
pedagogue  dropped  from  him  like  a  mantle  and  he 
was  the  alert  young  soldier  that  I  had  known  a  few 
months  earlier. 

"  Quick,  Miss  Polly,"  he  murmured,  "  I  have 
much  to  say,"  and  he  strode  across  to  mother  and 
seated  himself  beside  her  while  I  followed  close. 

Mother  gave  him  her  hand  in  silence  and  he  held 
it  for  a  moment  or  two  as  he  talked. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  better,  Madam 
Trotter,"  he  began,  speaking  rapidly,  in  a  low  un- 
dertone. "  I  bring  you  word  from  the  doctor." 

"  Is  he  well?  "  mother  asked  anxiously. 


256  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Ay,  in  the  best  of  health,  but  much  concerned 
for  your  welfare,"  Mr.  Hale  went  on.  "  He  is 
most  anxious  to  have  you  out  of  the  city  and  bids 
you  make  ready  to  leave  upon  the  instant.  We 
shall  contrive  to  arrange  the  matter  with  some  one 
of  our  loyal  friends  who  is  still  here,  so,  when  the 
message  comes,  be  ready  to  follow  its  instructions 
without  hesitation." 

"  Dr.  Trotter  still  thinks  me  bed-ridden?  "  mother 
questioned. 

"  Yes,  but  I  shall  be  glad  to  relieve  him  on  that 
point,"  Mr.  Hale  answered.  u  He  plans  to  have  you 
taken  away  in  a  chariot  if  possible.  'Twill  not  be 
easy,  but  I  think  it  can  be  managed. 

11  We  shall  be  ready,"  said  mother  firmly. 

"  Good,"  he  murmured,  and  then  a  sad  expression 
came  into  his  face.  "  I  have  a  word  to  say,  Madam 
Trotter,  which  I  would  could  be  left  unsaid,"  he 
went  on.  "  We  have  heard  naught  of  Will  since  — " 

Now  as  we  had  listened,  absorbed  in  Mr.  Hale's 
words  my  brother  had  tip-toed  across  the  room  and 
stood  behind  the  Captain's  chair  all  unbeknown  to 
him. 

"  Do  not  fret  for  that  scapegrace,"  he  whispered, 
leaning  down,  and  at  that  Mr.  Hale  sprang  to  his 
feet. 

"  Sure  I'm  right  glad  to  see  you,  Trotter !  "  he 
exclaimed,  softly.  "  We'd  given  you  up  for  lost, 
and  here  you  are  living  on  the  fat  of  the  land,  safe 
and  sound." 

"  Ay,  sound  enough,  but  none  too  safe,"  Will  an- 
swered, at  which  Mr.  Hale,  remembering  what  had 
brought  him  there,  turned  to  me. 

"  My  friend,  the  Hessian,  was  not  far  wrong  in 
his  suspicions  after  all!"  he  said.  "But  have  no 
fear.  The  schoolmaster  will  satisfy  him.  I  think 


The  Schoolmaster  Pays  a  Visit  257 

you  did  not  altogether  trust  me,  Miss  Polly,"  he 
added,  with  a  sly  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

"  Oh,  forgive  me,  Captain  Hale,"  I  pleaded.  "  I 
am  ashamed  that  I  should  have  suspected  you  for  a 
moment,  but  I  was  so  wrought-up  and  — " 

"  Nay,  ma'am,"  he  interrupted,  "  say  no  more. 
'Twas  a  great  compliment  you  paid  to  my  acting,  and 
moreover  stood  us  both  in  good  stead.  Had  you 
not  entertained  some  doubt  of  my  intentions  you 
might  have  betrayed  a  previous  knowledge  and  so 
spoiled  our  play.  As  it  is  our  friends  downstairs 
will  be  quite  content  with  what  I  tell  them." 

"Why  are  you  here  at  all,  Hale?"  Will  de- 
manded. "  'Tis  no  place  for  you." 

"  His  Excellency  needed  information,"  the  Cap- 
tain explained. 

"  Then  there  were  others  whose  business  it  was  to 
get  it  for  him,"  said  Will  heatedly.  "  The  cause 
can  ill  spare  you  for  such  work." 

"  Nay,  'tis  no  ordinary  mission,"  Mr.  Hale  in- 
sisted. "  A  man  who  knew  something  of  the  art  of 
war  was  needed,  and  so  I  volunteered." 

"  Nevertheless  you  should  not  have  undertaken  it," 
Will  declared  stubbornly.  "  I'll  warrant  Hull  said 
as  much  to  you." 

"  Ay,  he  did  —  and  more,"  Mr.  Hale  admitted, 
then  added  a  solemn  tone  coming  into  his  voice. 
"  But  I  told  him  that  I  owed  it  to  my  country  to 
accomplish  an  object  of  so  much  importance  and  I 
knew  no  mode  of  obtaining  the  information  but  by 
assuming  a  disguise  and  passing  into  the  enemy's 
camp." 

"  You  are  running  a  grave  risk,  Captain  Hale," 
said  mother  softly. 

"  Ay,  madam,"  he  responded  with  great  gentle- 
ness, "  I  am  fully  sensible  of  the  consequences  of 


258  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

discovery  and  capture  in  such  a  situation,  but  for  a 
year  now  I  have  been  attached  to  the  army  and  have 
not  rendered  any  material  service." 

"  Why,  you  took  the  sloop  1  "  I  protested. 

"  An  adventure,"  he  returned  scornfully.  "  That 
was  a  poor  return  for  the  compensation  I  receive." 

"  They'll  make  you  a  colonel  when  you  get  back," 
Will  predicted.  "  That  will  be  some  satisfaction." 

"  Nay,"  returned  Mr.  Hale  earnestly,  "  I  am  not 
influenced  by  any  expectation  of  promotion.  I  but 
wish  to  be  useful.  But  enough  of  this.  We  must 
plan  to  get  you  out  of  the  city,  Trotter." 

"  Nay,  an  you're  here  I  shall  stay  too,"  said  Will. 
"  Surely  you  can  make  some  use  of  me.  ,Two  strings 
to  a  bow  are  better  than  one." 

"  Now  that's  well  thought  of,"  agreed  the  Cap- 
tain. "  I  have  wished  many  a  time  that  there  was 
some  one  at  hand  I  could  trust  to  get  my  despatches 
to  His  Excellency.  Let  me  consider  a  moment." 

We  stood  in  silence  watching  Captain  Hale,  erect 
and  eager,  and  I  could  not  help  wondering  how  com- 
pletely the  schoolmaster  had  vanished.  To  be  sure 
he  wore  the  same  clothes,  but  in  this  case,  at  least, 
they  did  not  make  the  man. 

"  Listen,  Trotter,"  he  began  presently,  "  in  three 
days  I  return  to  our  camp  by  way  of  Long  Island. 
'Tis  so  arranged,  and  those  who  brought  me  over 
will  take  me  back.  Now  I  propose  that  you  should 
go  by  way  of  the  North  River,  carrying  copies  of  the 
information  I  have  to  His  Excellency.  One  or  other 
of  us  is  sure  to  win  through." 

"  I'm  your  man,"  Will  agreed  sturdily,  and  his 
sister  felt  a  thrill  of  pride  in  her  big  brother. 

"  Good !  "  Mr.  Hale  went  on.  "  Know  you 
1  Squinty '  Robinson,  who  has  a  boat  near  the  Bat- 
tery?" 


The  Schoolmaster  Pays  a  Visit  259 

"  Right  well,"  answered  Will  with  a  chuckle. 
"  I'll  warrant  him  a  good  patriot  in  spite  of  his 
crossed  eyes." 

"  That  he  is,"  declared  the  captain,  "  and  has 
made  more  than  one  midnight  trip  up  the  river.  I 
shall  arrange  with  him  to  take  you.  Meantime  I'll 
copy  out  my  despatches  and,  Trotter,  they'll  be  on 
thin  paper  so  you  can  slip  them  'twixt  the  soles  of 
your  shoes." 

"  I  know  that  trick,"  Will  replied,  "  but  how  shall 
I  win  to  the  Battery?" 

"  Worry  not  about  that,"  Mr.  Hale  assured  him. 
"  Is  not  Master  Nathan,  the  schoolmaster,  a  friend 
to  scores  of  British  officers.  They  tell  me  I  have 
a  pretty  wit  and,  in  return  for  amusement,  load 
me  with  information.  I  shall  send  you  the  pass- 
words with  the  despatches.  Now  I  must  be  off, 
or  those  fellows  down  stairs  will  be  growing  impa- 
tient." 

He  said  good-bye  tenderly  to  mother,  who  gave 
him  a  blessing  in  return,  pressed  Will's  hand  and 
started  with  me  to  the  door. 

"  Miss  Polly,"  he  whispered,  "  I  trust  you  to  be 
on  the  lookout  for  the  schoolmaster  who  will  visit 
the  house  once  more.  And  I  pray  you  be  on  your 
guard  to  take  any  paper  he  may  slip  to  you." 

And  with  that  I  let  him  out  of  the  room  and  he 
became  again  the  cringing  Master  Nathan. 

I  watched  him  make  his  way  to  the  floor  below 
and  listened  to  hear  what  he  might  say  to  the  three 
officers. 

"  You've  been  a  weary  time  gone,  Master  Square- 
toes!  "  cried  Mr.  Scott  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"  A  most  interesting  case,  gentlemen,"  came  the 
whining  reply.  "  The  patient  should  recover  in  good 
season,  provided  she  is  not  disturbed." 


260  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  But  what  of  the  search?  "  demanded  the  Hes- 
sian. 

"  'Twas  most  thoroughly  made,  I  assure  you,  sir, 
but,  as  you  see,  without  result." 

"  A  plague  upon  such  a  pother  for  naught !  " 
Dandy  Dawson  complained  airily.  "  I  was  certain 
there  was  no  one  there,  and  now  I  vow  I  shall  have 
the  vapours  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

"  We  have  but  done  our  duties,  sirs,"  declared 
Herr  Hauptman.  Upon  which  sentiment  some  one 
shut  the  door,  and  I  heard  no  more. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A   PACKET  OF   PILLS 

THE  strange  and  unexpected  appearance  of  Mr. 
Hale  changed  our  spirits  as  if  by  magic. 
Whereas  before  we  had  been  in  constant 
dread  of  disaster,  it  seemed  that  now  our  troubles 
had  vanished  and  that  all  we  needed  was  a  little  pa- 
tience to  reach  the  end  of  our  ordeal. 

Will  had  unbounded  faith  in  the  Captain's  ability 
to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  plan,  and  once  more  we 
talked  confidently  of  the  time  when  we  should  see 
father  and  the  family  be  together  again. 

And,  to  hearten  us  still  further,  Herr  Hauptman 
was  ordered  to  another  post  that  afternoon.  He 
departed,  bag  and  baggage,  leaving  none  to  mourn 
his  going;  nor,  do  I  think,  was  he  greatly  displeased 
to  be  quit  of  companions  who  daily  grew  less  con- 
genial. He  thanked  me  politely  enough  for  my  hos- 
pitality, complimenting  me  for  an  excellent  house- 
wife in  a  manner  which  showed  that  to  his  thinking 
no  higher  praise  could  be  bestowed  upon  a  mere  miss. 

In  the  place  of  Herr  Hauptman  came  another  Eng- 
lish officer,  Major  Haughton,  whose  conversation 
consisted,  so  far  as  I  ever  heard,  of  "  Yaws  "  or 
"  No,"  drawled  out  laboriously  as  if  the  effort  hurt 
him.  He  was  a  dull-eyed  man,  fair  of  hair,  with 
pink  cheeks  like  a  baby's,  and  I  saw  him  settled  in 
the  guest-chamber  with  a  huge  sense  of  relief.  I 
doubted  not  that  he  would  sleep  like  a  dormouse  in 
winter,  and  that  Will  might  dance  a  sailor's  horn- 

261 


262  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

pipe  in  the  hallway  without  disturbing  Major  Haugh- 
ton's  peaceful  slumbers. 

I  should  have  gone  to  bed  that  night  with  a  lighter 
heart  than  I  had  carried  for  many  a  long  day,  but, 
once  my  mind  was  eased  of  Will's  peril  and  I  saw  a 
clear  road  to  mother's  happiness,  I  straightway 
thought  of  Roger  Delancy,  and  my  own  sorrows  came 
to  plague  me.  I  grieved  not  at  the  stand  I  had  taken 
with  him,  nor  was  I  less  a  patriot  if  I  found  it  hard 
to  bear,  only  it  seemed  too  bad  that  of  all  the  young 
men  I  knew  Roger  should  be  the  one  to  side  with 
the  King.  And  worse  still,  I  could  not  but  admire 
him  for  holding  to  his  convictions,  though  I  tried  to 
think  him  stupid  for  having  such  faith  in  so  unworthy 
a  prince.  I  was  very  young  and  the  years  of  spinster- 
hood  ahead  of  me  seemed  interminable.  Small  won- 
der if,  ere  I  went  to  sleep  that  night,  I  was  much  put 
to  it  not  to  disturb  mother  with  my  sobbing. 

The  next  day  I  took  up  my  watch  for  the  school- 
master. How  or  when  he  would  come  I  knew  not, 
nor  could  I  foresee  any  plan  by  which  he  could  slip 
me  the  papers  he  meant  for  Will.  There  was  a 
constant  stream  of  messengers  and  orderlies  going 
in  and  out  of  the  house,  besides  a  soldier  or  two  al- 
ways stationed  at  the  entrance :  it  would  appear  more 
than  suspicious  were  any  of  our  enemies  to  observe 
the  so-called  Mr.  Nathan  handing  me  a  paper,  and  I 
doubted  Captain  Hale  running  any  such  risk.  Then 
it  occurred  to  me  that  he  might  venture  another 
visit  to  mother's  room  in  the  character  of  physician; 
but  again  I  dismissed  this  as  unlikely.  It  had  been 
for  the  ostensible  purpose  of  deceiving  mother,  not 
the  British  officers,  that  the  schoolmaster  had  pre- 
tended to  be  a  doctor,  and,  this  pretence  having 
served  its  purpose,  Captain  Dawson  and  Mr.  Scott 
were  like  to  wonder  should  another  call  be  necessary. 


A  Packet  of  Pills  263 

It  would  be  highly  dangerous  to  have  any  one  think 
that  there  was  the  slightest  personal  interest  in  any 
member  of  the  Trotter  family  on  the  part  of  the 
Tory  pedagogue. 

The  more  I  puzzled  the  matter  the  more  difficult 
appeared  the  problem  which  I  had  heretofore  held 
a  simple  one. 

"  Nay,  have  no  fear,"  said  Will,  when  I  spoke  to 
him  about  it.  "  I  know  not  how  it  will  be  done, 
but  I'll  trust  Nathan  Hale  to  think  of  a  way.  You 
need  but  be  on  your  guard,  Polly,  to  follow  his  lead 
and  I'll  warrant  we  get  the  papers  without  the  Brit- 
ish knowing  aught  of  it." 

But  that  day  he  came  not  nor  in  the  evening, 
though  I  was  about  the  house  later  than  was  my 
wont  in  case  he  should  put  in  an  appearance. 
Nevertheless  our  spirits  were  in  no  wise  dampened 
on  that  account,  for  there  had  been  no  time  set  and 
so  our  confidence  that  he  would  return  stood  un- 
broken. 

About  eleven  of  the  clock  I  stole  into  the  hall  to 
see  if  our  new  guest  had  any  of  Herr  Hauptman's 
tricks;  but  all  that  I  saw,  and  heard  reassured  me 
on  that  score.  Not  only  was  the  door  of  the  guest- 
chamber  tight  shut,  but  there  came  from  within  the 
most  prodigous  snore.  Major  Haughton  slept. 
There  was  small  doubt  of  that  for  the  regularity  of 
the  uncouth  noises  he  made  could  scarce  be  counter- 
feited. I  went  back  to  mother's  room  well  satisfied 
that  we  had  naught  to  fear  from  that  direction.  If, 
in  the  beginning,  Major  Haughton  had  come  instead 
of  the  Hessian,  Will  would  have  long  since  made  his 
escape  from  the  house;  but  ere  the  opportunity  af- 
forded, our  plan  was  changed,  and  now  that  he 
might  go  with  little  fear  of  hindrance,  he  had  some- 
thing more  than  his  own  safety  to  think  of. 


264  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

not  till  later,  however,  that  I  fully  realized  how  in- 
finitely this  new  business  was  to  increase  the  peril  he 
stood  in. 

'Twas  nigh  noon  the  next  day  that  Mr.  Hale  ar- 
rived. To  give  excuse  to  my  presence  in  the  front  of 
the  house,  I  had  taken  a  cloth  and  was  busying  my- 
self polishing  the  handles  of  the  front  door.  This 
afforded  me  an  opportunity  to  look  about  the  Broad 
Way  and  presently  I  spied  Captain  Dawson  and  Mr. 
Hale,  the  latter  in  schoolmaster's  garb,  strolling 
leisurely  toward  me.  They  were  in  an  animated 
talk  together  and  I  thought  they  would  never  come, 
but  at  length  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  steps. 

The  dandy  was  laughing  gaily  as  they  mounted, 
clapping  his  companion  gently  upon  the  shoulder. 

"Egad,  Master  Nathan!"  he  cried,  "I  must 
have  you  in  London  when  these  misguided  rebels 
come  to  their  senses.  I  vow  you  have  a  wit  that  will 
make  Horrie  Walpole  perish  with  envy.  Oons, 
man!  You  are  wasted  in  this  country  of  pesky 
Whigs  and  pretty  women.  Ah,  here  is  one  of  them 
now,"  he  went  on,  in  high  good  humour  as  he  spied 
me.  "  Your  most  obedient,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he 
added,  giving  me,  as  usual  when  we  met,  a  most 
elaborate  bow. 

Mr.  Hale  following  closely,  doffed  his  hat  humbly 
and  I  curtsied  to  both,  intent  upon  what  was  to  fol- 
low; for  here  was  the  occasion  to  which  I  had  been 
looking  forward  and  I  wondered  how  we  were  to  get 
rid  of  the  dandy. 

"  I  trust,  Mistress  Trotter,  that  your  mother  suf- 
fered no  set-back  from  my  intrusion  upon  her  pri- 
vacy?" the  schoolmaster  inquired  solicitously. 

"  Nay,  sir,  she  is  no  worse,"  I  answered,  alert  to 
follow  his  every  move. 

"  I  am  most  happy  to  hear  it,"  he  replied,  and  took 


A  Packet  of  Pills  265 

a  step  with  the  seeming  intention  of  leaving  me. 
Then,  as  if  he  recollected  something  on  a  sudden, 
he  stopped  and  began  to  fumble  in  his  waistcoat. 
"  I  had  nigh  forgotten,"  he  went  on,  fetching  a  box 
out  of  a  pocket.  "  'Tis  a  medicine,  Captain  Daw- 
son,  which  I  had  prepared  for  Madam  Trotter.  I 
thought  'twould  do  no  harm  to  carry  the  play  to  a 
conclusion.  'Twill  benefit  her,  I  am  sure." 

I  know  not  what  answer  the  dandy  made,  for  my 
whole  being  was  centred  on  the  box.  In  it,  I  felt  cer- 
tain, lay  the  papers,  and  I  marvelled  at  the  coolness 
with  which  Mr.  Hale  handled  it.  Should  the  cover 
fall  off  by  accident  I  was  sure  we  would  be  betrayed, 
and  yet  he  toyed  with  it  carelessly  as  he  listened  re- 
spectively to  the  Captain's  chatter. 

"  Egad,  Master  Nathan !  "  he  was  saying,  as  I 
began  again  to  be  cognizant  of  what  was  going  on 
about  me,  "  I  doubt  I  should  permit  you  to  go  so  far. 
I  know  not  where  this  combination  of  schoolmaster 
and  physician  will  lead.  Mayhap  to  Paradise.'* 

"Or  Harlem  Heights,"  said  Mr.  Hale,  with  a 
quiet  laugh. 

"Eh,  what?  What?"  quizzed  the  captain. 
"  Harlem  Heights !  'Tis  where  this  Washington 
and  his  tatterdemalian  army  is  hid." 

"  Ay,  and  the  very  opposite  of  Paradise,  I  should 
say,"  explained  the  schoolmaster. 

"  Ho,  ho !  A  pretty  wit,  indeed,"  chuckled  the 
Captain.  "  Yet  somewhat  grim  withal,  for  Harlem 
Heights  might  well  prove  the  opposite  of  Paradise 
for  you,  my  friend,  an  the  Whigs  catch  you;  but 
Madam  Trotter  scarce  craves  so  fatal  a  journey. 
Let's  see  what  you  have  brought  her." 

At  this  demand  I  caught  my  breath  for  I  was 
sure  we  were  undone,  but  Mr.  Hale,  in  no  wise  dis- 
mayed, lifted  the  lid  and  displayed  six  grayish-green 


266  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

boluses  each  of  the  bigness  of  a  small  marble. 
Naught  else  was  visible.  "  Indeed,  Captain,"  he 
said,  offering  the  box  to  the  dandy,  "  Madam  Trot- 
ter need  have  no  fear.  I'll  stake  my  life  she'll  find 
in  them  an  excellent  tonic." 

The  captain  took  the  box  daintily  'twixt  his  thumb 
and  forefinger,  sniffed  at  the  pills,  and  with  a  funny 
little  shudder  handed  them  back. 

"  What  is  in  the  horrid  things?  "  he  asked,  making 
a  wry  face. 

"  Drugs  well  compounded,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Hale, 
"  and  certain  other  substances  designed  to  ease  the 
mind  and  calm  the  spirit." 

"  Egad,  I'll  wager  they  calm  not  the  body," 
laughed  Captain  Dawson,  and  then  to  me,  "  What 
say  you,  Mistress  Trotter?  Think  you  your  mother 
could  survive  so  unappetizing  a  medicine  ?  " 

"  Nay,  sir,  I  cannot  tell,"  was  my  reply,  "  but 
sure  I  know  she  would  do  anything  in  reason  to  re- 
gain her  health." 

"  Perchance  the  patient  will  be  the  best  judge," 
suggested  Mr.  Hale,  and  with  a  bow  he  handed  me 
the  box. 

"  If  aught  harmful  comes  of  this,  Master  Na- 
than," said  the  dandy,  "  I'll  bring  you  to  account 
for  it  right  smartly." 

"  Nay  then,  my  life  is  forfeit  an  it  goes  astray," 
the  schoolmaster  answered  in  his  most  whining  tones, 
and,  at  that,  with  a  curtsey  to  both,  I  made  my  way 
upstairs  taking  care  to  curb  my  almost  uncontrollable 
desire  to  run  as  fast  as  my  legs  would  carry  me. 

Mother  and  Will  knew  that  something  was  a-foot 
the  moment  I  entered  the  room,  for  once  hidden 
there  I  had  no  need  to  conceal  the  excitement  I  felt. 

"He's  come,  has  he?  "  Will  whispered,  guessing 
at  the  news  I  brought. 


A  Packet  of  Pills  267 

"  Yes.  He  is  with  Captain  Dawson  below,"  I 
answered. 

"  Well,  have  you  got  the  papers?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  replied  hesitatingly.  "  He 
gave  me  naught  but  this,  and  there  are  only  six  pills 
in  it."  Whereupon  I  handed  him  the  box  which  he 
snatched  eagerly. 

"  What  we  seek  is  here,  be  sure  of  that,"  he  said, 
confidently.  "  I  doubt  not  it  has  a  false  bottom. 

With  that  he  dropped  to  the  floor  and  I  flopped 
beside  him,  keen  to  unravel  the  mystery. 

With  trembling  fingers  my  brother  opened  the 
box  and  after  carelessly  dumping  out  the  contents  on 
the  floor,  began  a  thorough  examination  of  its  struc- 
ture. He  scrutinized  the  sides  and  bottom,  but  find- 
ing no  crack  or  seam  to  mark  a  hiding  place,  took 
out  his  knife. 

"  'Tis  excellently  contrived  for  the  purpose,"  he 
commented,  beginning  to  cut  the  box  apart;  but 
though  he  spent  the  best  part  of  an  hour  picking  and 
prying  with  patient  care  lest  by  accident  he  damage 
the  hidden  papers,  naught  did  we  find  to  reward  us. 

"  It  must  be  in  the  lid,"  said  Will,  when  he  had 
whittled  the  box  into  tiny  pieces ;  but  again  we  were 
doomed  to  disappointment  and,  amid  a  litter  of 
scraps  scattered  about  the  floor,  we  looked  at  each 
other  much  perplexed. 

Then,  in  a  flash,  the  talk  between  Captain  Hale 
and  Dandy  Dawson  came  back  to  me  and  I  clapped 
my  hand  to  my  forehead  with  an  exclamation  of 
chagrin. 

"  Oh,  dolt  that  I  am!"  I  cried.  "  Mr.  Hale  as 
good  as  told  me  where  lay  the  message,"  and  with 
that  I  picked  up  one  of  the  pills  and  broke  it  open 
with  my  fingers. 

Inside,  carefully  folded,  was  hid  a  small  piece  of 


268  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

thin,  parchment-like  paper  which,  upon  being  opened, 
was  found  to  be  covered  with  finely  written  words. 

"  'Tis  but  a  fragment,"  said  Will,  as  he  read. 
"  Break  open  the  others." 

I  obeyed  him  at  once  and  in  each  of  the  boluses 
we  found  a  similar  slip  which  Will  pieced  together 
with  some  difficulty,  till  all  was  clear. 

There  were  two  messages,  one  a  long  despatch  to 
His  Excellency,  General  Washington  which,  when 
Will  had  digested  it,  set  his  nerves  a-quiver. 

"  'Tis  Howe's  plan  to  capture  our  whole  army!  " 
he  murmured  excitedly.  "  They  mean  to  deceive 
Washington  by  fortifying  Macgowan's  Pass  as  if  the 
attack  were  to  come  from  there,  but  the  van  of  their 
army  is  to  go  secretly  by  ship  to  Throg's  Neck  and 
so  get  behind  us.  That  would  cut  off  our  retreat 
and  our  cause  would  be  lost.  An  this  news  reaches 
His  Excellency,  and  I  mean  that  it  shall,  Hale  will 
have  saved  our  country  to  us." 

"  How  came  he  by  it?  "  I  asked. 

"  Nay,  I  know  not,"  Will  answered.  "  But  I'll 
warrant  Howe's  eyes  would  pop  out  with  astonish- 
ment an  he  knew  we  had  it." 

The  other  message  was  for  Will  and  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  Meet  R.,  Whitehall  slip,  1-30  A.M.  Sunday. 
Watchword,  London.  Countersign,  Home." 

"  Half  past  one  Sunday  morning  is  to-night,  Will," 
I  said,  as  he  finished. 

"  Ay,"  he  answered.  "  I  should  reach  the  camp 
on  Harlem  Heights  before  dawn.  Now  to  hide  the 
despatches." 

He  slipped  off  his  boots  and  lifting  the  thin  cover- 
ing inside  the  soles,  put  half  the  precious  papers  in 
each  replacing  the  leather  with  such  skill  that  none 
could  tell  it  had  been  disturbed.  The  instructions 


A  Packet  of  Pills  269 

for  meeting  the  boatman,  "  Squinty  "  Robinson  he 
destroyed  forthwith  by  burning. 

"  No  fear  that  I  shall  forget,"  he  said. 
"  '  Watchword,  London.  Countersign,  Home.'  I 
vow  the  British  will  be  wishing  that  ere  long." 

"  Would  it  not  be  well,  my  son,  to  rest  against 
your  journey  to-night?"  asked  mother  who  had 
watched  us,  mostly  in  silence,  though  with  no  want  of 
interest  on  that  account. 

"Nay,"  answered  Will,  "I  couldn't  lie  still, 
mother  dear.  I  scarce  can  tell  you  how  vital  it  is 
that  this  information  gets  into  His  Excellency's 
hands." 

"  For  that  very  reason  you  should  gather  all  your 
strength,"  mother  reminded  him.  "  'Tis  your  coun- 
try you  must  think  of  now,  naught  else." 

At  that  Will  sobered. 

"  You  are  always  right,  mother,"  he  answered. 
"  I'll  stretch  out  and  try  to  sleep  though  I  know  the 
hours  will  crawl  till  the  time  comes  for  me  to  start, 
for  I  am  nigh  distracted  with  impatience  to  be  on 
my  way." 

He  went  to  the  powdering-closet  and,  lying  down, 
rested  his  head  upon  the  pillow  I  brought  him  from 
the  bed. 

"  Thanks,  sis,"  he  whispered.  "  I  warrant  you'll 
be  glad  to  be  rid  of  a  bothersome  brother." 

"  Nay,"  I  told  him,  "  I  shall  not  be  content  till  we 
are  all  together  again  among  our  own  soldiers." 

Naught  happened  throughout  the  rest  of  the  day 
nor  that  night  to  change  our  plans  in  any  way  and, 
though  the  hours  passed  very  slowly,  they  did  pass 
till  at  length  the  moment  came. 

I  went  ahead  to  see  that  all  was  clear,  tiptoeing 
through  the  house  (all  silent,  save  for  Major  Haugh- 
ton's  reassuring  snores),  and  out  through  the  garden 


270  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

to  the  gate  where  a  peep  up  and  down  showed  me 
that  the  street  was  deserted. 

I  hurried  back  to  tell  Will  that  all  was  well  and  he 
kissed  us  each  good-bye. 

"  Forget  not  to  be  ready,  Polly,  when  father  sends 
for  you,"  were  his  parting  words  to  me  and  with  a 
noiseless  step  he  vanished  down  the  stairs. 

For  perhaps  five  minutes  we  waited  with  strained 
ears  to  catch  any  sounds  that  might  tell  of  an  en- 
counter, but  naught  untoward  happened  and  mother 
and  I  lay  down  to  sleep,  well  assured  that  at  last 
Will  was  set  straight  upon  the  road  of  escape  from 
the  city. 

I  know  not  why  I  should  have  been  so  thoroughly 
content  to  have  Will  quit  of  the  house.  It  needed 
no  very  little  imagination  to  picture  him  seized  a 
dozen  times  on  his  way  to  meet  the  boatman  in  spite 
of  his  knowing  the  British  watchword  and  counter- 
sign. Yet  so  certain  was  I  that  naught  would  hinder 
him  that,  after  a  loving  little  talk  with  mother  as  I 
lay  for  a  moment  or  two  in  her  arms,  I  turned  over 
and  went  to  sleep  like  a  baby. 

Some  two  hours  later  I  awakened  suddenly  with 
a  sense  of  great  confusion  about  me  and  as  I  sat  up 
there  came  a  heavy  knock  upon  the  chamber  door. 

"  What  is  it?  "  I  asked,  hopping  from  the  bed. 

"  I  beg  that  you  and  your  mother  will  dress  at 
once,"  came  the  voice  of  Captain  Dawson  in  a  tone 
that  betrayed  the  man  inside  the  dandy. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Captain?  "  I  asked. 

"  Some  rascally  rebel  has  set  fire  to  the  city,"  he 
answered.  "  Half  of  it  is  gone  and  I  know  not  how 
soon  the  flames  will  reach  here.  You  must  prepare 
to  quit  the  house  if  need  be." 

With  that  I  heard  him  clatter  down  the  stairs. 

'Twas  then  that  I  began  to  realize  that  a  dull  red 


A  Packet  of  Pills  271 

glare  filled  the  room  and  distant  sounds,  as  of  a  great 
clamouring,  reached  me  faintly. 

Mother,  by  this  time,  was  up  and  already  putting 
on  her  clothes,  for  she  had  gained  so  much  of  her 
old  vigour  that  she  no  longer  needed  my  help.  I, 
without  loss  of  time,  prepared  to  awaken  Betty,  for 
I  knew  not  whether  she  had  been  warned.  But 
after  I  had  hurried  downstairs  on  my  way  to  the 
servants'  quarters  I  met  her  just  outside  the  kitchen 
coming  to  us  upon  a  similar  errand. 

"  Land  sakes;  Miss  Polly,"  she  moaned,  "  the  end 
of  the  world  am  surely  comin'.  What  wif  war  an' 
fire  the  good  Lord  am  chastenin'  his  sinful  chillen." 

There  was  no  gainsaying  Betty's  pious  words  but 
ere  I  could  answer  Mr.  Scott,  spying  us,  shouted  a 
reassurance. 

"  'Twill  never  reach  us,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  in- 
sisted. "  An  the  wind  holds  I  stand  to  make  a  for- 
tune out  of  Dawson.  I  told  him  not  to  disturb  you 
but  he  vowed  it  was  his  duty.  And  I  say,  Betty," 
he  went  on,  striding  down  the  hall  toward  us,  "  I'd 
give  something  handsome  for  a  dish  of  tea.  This 
soot  and  smoke  would  choke  a  sweep." 

In  spite  of  his  hated  uniform  Mr.  Scott  had  a  win- 
ning manner,  and  Betty,  though  she  grumbled  at 
making  tea  by  candle-light,  went  off  to  do  his  bidding, 
I  being  well  content  to  have  her  occupied  if  only  to 
still  her  ill-omened  prophecies. 

"You  really  think  we  are  safe?"  I  asked  Mr. 
Scott. 

"  As  a  church,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he  answered. 
"  Come  to  the  front  door  and  see.  It  is  something 
of  a  sight,  but  we  stand  in  no  danger  unless  the  wind 
veers  again." 

I  would  that  I  could  tell  something  of  the  beauty 
and  awesomeness  of  that  great  fire  which  left  half 


272  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

the  city  a  blackened  ruin.  As  I  stood  upon  the 
stoop  and  gazed  upon  the  terrifying  scene  scarce  two 
blocks  away,  my  first  action  was  to  cover  my  eyes  to 
shut  out  so  appalling  a  sight.  High  into  the  sky 
sparks  flew  to  the  west  as  thick  as  snow-flakes  in  a 
winter's  storm.  Now  and  then,  with  a  great  crash, 
the  blazing  roof  of  some  building  fell  and  from  the 
centre  of  the  raging  mass  there  arose  a  cloud  of 
flaming  yellow  light  that  illuminated  the  city  as  on  a 
sunny  day.  Against  the  sombre  wreaths  of  black 
smoke,  living  sheets  of  fire  leapt  up  and  up  into  the 
darkened  Heavens,  while  below  a  glowing  heap  of 
crackling  embers  marked  the  path  of  destruction. 

But  I  was  not  permitted  to  watch  very  long  for 
presently  there  came  marching  up  the  street  an  offi- 
cer, followed  by  a  squad  of  soldiers,  who,  when  they 
had  reached  the  house,  came  brusquely  in.  This 
newcomer  was  evidently  in  high  command  for  Mr. 
Scott  saluted  stiffly  and  stood  at  attention  awaiting 
his  superior's  orders. 

"  Where  is  Captain  Dawson?  "  was  the  first  ques- 
tion. 

"  Gone  to  headquarters  scarce  five  minutes  ago, 
Colonel,"  replied  Mr.  Scott. 

"  Humph !  "  grunted  the  other,  plainly  annoyed 
at  this  information.  u  Do  you  know  aught  of  the 
whereabouts  of  a  certain  schoolmaster  calling  him- 
self Nathan?" 

"  He  was  here  at  noontime,  sir;  but  I  know  not 
where  he  may  be  now,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Well,  sir,  there  is  an  order  out  for  his  immedi- 
ate arrest,"  the  Colonel  continued.  "  It  seems  that 
this  innocent  pedagogue  is  a  rebel  spy." 

"  A  spy  1  "  echoed  Mr.  Scott.  "  Nay,  sir,  'tis  not 
possible." 

"  Nay,  sir,  'tis  not  impossible !     'Tis  bitter  fact!  " 


A  Packet  of  Pills  273 

came  the  sharp  retort.  "  He  has  gulled  us  all  and 
gained  much  valuable  information.  You  are  cer- 
tain he  is  not  here?  " 

"Ay,  Colonel,  I  am  certain  of  that,"  said  Mr. 
Scott  and  then  his  eyes  fell  upon  me  standing  near,  a 
prey  to  growing  anxiety.  "  Do  you  know  aught  of 
him,  Mistress  Trotter?  "  he  demanded  suddenly. 

"  I  know  naught  of  his  whereabouts,"  I  answered 
truthfully,  but  I  think  Mr.  Scott  would  have  cate- 
chized me  further  had  we  not  been  interrupted  by 
the  arrival  of  my  old  enemy,  the  Tory  spy.  He 
crowded  his  way  through  the  knot  of  men  standing  at 
the  door  and  came  hurriedly  to  where  we  stood. 

"  Ah !  "  exclaimed  the  Colonel,  "  here  is  the  fellow 
who  warned  us  of  this  schoolmaster." 

"Is  he  here,  your  Lordship?"  asked  the  spy, 
doffing  his  hat. 

"  Nay,"  was  the  short  answer. 

"  Have  you  searched  the  house  ?  " 

"  We  thought  that  not  necessary." 

"  'Tis  very  necessary,  your  Lordship,"  the  spy 
went  on.  "  There's  more  than  one  in  this  business, 
and  this  house  is  a  very  nest  of  rebels."  He  stopped 
looking  keenly  about  him  and  then,  seeing  me  for 
the  first  time,  he  thrust  his  wrinkled  face  close  to 
mine  and  snarled.  "Where  is  your  brother?  I 
vow  he  knows  where  Master  Nathan  —  Hale  can 
be  found." 

At  this  there  was  great  volley  of  questions  hurled 
at  me  from  all  quarters,  but  I  had  but  one  answer 
for  them  all. 

"  My  word  would  not  be  believed,  gentlemen,"  I 
answered  boldly.  "  I  know  no  better  way  to  satisfy 
you  than  by  advising  that  the  house  be  searched  forth- 
with." 

"  Ay,  we'll  do  that,  miss,  on  the  instant,"  declared 


274  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

the  Colonel,  "  without  advice  from  you !  "  and  at 
once  gave  the  necessary  orders. 

"  Perchance  your  mother  has  lost  her  fear  of 
soldiers,  Mistress  Trotter,"  sneered  Mr.  Scott,  in 
an  undertone. 

"  I  have  assured  her  she  had  naught  to  fear  from 
you,"  I  answered  him,  and  was  for  leaving  them,  but 
here  I  had  miscalculated. 

'"  Nay,  miss,  you  will  stay  with  us,"  was  the 
Colonel's  command.  "  I  have  no  mind  that  you  shall 
carry  warning  of  our  coming." 

But  I  cared  not.  I  felt  certain  that  Will  was  far 
up  the  river  by  now  and  hoped  Captain  Hale,  too, 
had  made  good  his  escape,  knowing  it  had  been 
planned  for  that  night.  I  accompanied  them  in- 
differently throughout  the  search,  which  took  a  deal 
of  time,  hunting  about  in  corners  by  lanthorn  light,  so 
that  the  day  was  breaking  ere  they  finished.  In 
mother's  room  they  left  no  nook  or  cranny  unex- 
plored, for  here  the  spy  seemed,  like  a  dog,  to  scent 
my  brother.  But  mother  they  treated  with  con- 
sideration, though  they  neglected  not  their  business 
on  that  account. 

"  I  rejoice  that  your  mother's  health  is  so  vastly  im- 
proved, ma'am,"  said  Mr.  Scott  ironically,  as  we  at 
length  left  the  room.  "  I  was  under  the  impression 
she  could  not  leave  her  bed." 

"  'Twas  because  of  the  fire  Captain  Dawson  or- 
dered her  to  dress,"  I  answered,  for  though  'twas  on 
my  lips  to  give  a  saucy  answer,  I  held  my  tongue, 
seeing  no  good  to  be  gained  by  angering  him. 

Nevertheless  that  vain  hunt  was  something  of  a 
triumph  for  me,  albeit  I  could  not  but  realize  how 
near  a  thing  was  Will's  capture.  A  few  hours  would 
have  made  all  the  difference. 


A  Packet  of  Pills  275 

At  the  end,  the  Colonel,  angry  that  naught  was 
forthcoming  from  his  quest,  was  for  quitting  the 
place  with  his  men  to  go  elsewhere,  but  once  more  the 
spy  interposed. 

"  If  I  may  suggest  it,  your  Lordship,"  he  said,  "  I 
would  post  the  house." 

"  And  why,  man?  "  asked  the  Colonel. 

"  In  case  either  of  those  we  look  for  return,"  he 
explained.  "  Being  headed  off  in  all  directions  out 
of  the  city  they  are  like  to  come  here  hoping  to  find 
a  refuge.  'Twould  be  their  last  chance,  your  Lord- 
ship." 

"  Ay,  you're  right,"  agreed  the  Colonel,  and  at 
once  gave  his  orders.  "  And  see  to  it,"  he  said,  ad- 
dressing Mr.  Scott,  "  that  there  is  a  man  on  duty, 
night  and  day,  both  back  and  front.  And  as  for 
this  rebel  miss,"  he  went  on,  with  a  scowl  at  me, 
"  she  and  her  mother  are  to  be  kept  within  till 
further  orders." 

With  that  all  departed,  leaving  me  and  Mr.  Scott 
vis-a-vis  at  the  front  door. 

"  Is  it  permitted  that  I  ask  Betty  if  your  tea  is 
served?  "  I  asked  pertly,  dropping  a  curtsey. 

"  Go  where  you  please,"  he  answered,  in  a  rare 
ill-humour,  "  so  long  as  it  is  not  out  of  the  house," 
and  he  turned  his  back  upon  me  and  went  into  the 
surgery. 

Thinking  that  a  dish  of  tea  would  be  pleasing  to 
mother  I  hurried  to  the  kitchen  to  get  it;  but  there  my 
hopes  came  tumbling  fast  and  in  a  moment  my 
spirits  dropped  from  happy  confidence  to  deep  de- 
spair. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Polly,"  moaned  Betty,  as  she  hurried 
to  meet  me,  "  what's  we-all  gwin'  to  do?  " 

"  Going  to  do  about  what,  Betty?  "  I  asked. 


276  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  'Bout  Mars  Will,"  she  answered. 
'What  about  Master  Will?"   I   demanded,   a 
great  fear  coming  over  me. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Polly,"  she  sobbed,  "  he's  in  the  rain- 
bar'ell" 


CHAPTER  XXX 

BETTY  GOES  A-MARKETING 

BETTY'S  incredible  news  staggered  me,  and 
only  after  she  had  repeated  her  assertion 
that  Will  was  in  the  rain-barrel,  could  I  bring 
myself  to  realize  the  fact. 

"  When  did  he  come  back,  Betty?  "  I  asked  breath- 
lessly, for  the  servants'  quarters  had  been  searched 
most  thoroughly. 

"  'Twas  jes'  the  minute  them  soldier  men  left  the 
wash-house  an*  starts  Vestigatin'  the  cellar,  Miss 
Polly,"  she  explained. 

"  Did  he  come  into  the  kitchen?  " 

"  No'm,"  she  went  on.  "  I  were  a-lookin'  out  o' 
the  door  and  I  sees  a  shadder  movin'  in  the  garden. 
It  was  kind  o'  dark,  spite  of  the  fire,  Miss  Polly, 
and  I  couldn't  rightly  make  out  what  it  was;  but  I 
notices  it  kind  o'  dodged  among  the  bushes  and  I 
says  to  myself,  '  Now  what  new  pestilence  am  that 
there  ?  '  f o'  I  was  plum  nervious  wif  all  these  calami- 
ties gwin'  on  an'  was  fo'  closin'  that  door  right  smart. 
But  as  I  were  a-doin'  it  I  hears  a  voice  callin'  soft  in 
a  whisper;  '  Betty,'  it  says,  timid-like,  *  Betty,  come 
here ! '  But,  land  sakes,  miss,  I  were  too  scared 
to—" 

"  Scared  of  Master  Will?  "  I  broke  in. 

"  I  didn't  know  it  were  Mars  Will  then,"  she  an- 
swered indignantly.  "  It  weren't  till  I  beared  that 
voice  sayin'  '  Betty,  you  worthless  ol'  curmudgen, 
come  down  here,'  that  I  rightly  knowed  who  'twas, 

277 


278  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

'cause  Mars  Will  allers  calls  me  some  such  jokirT 
name  and — " 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know,  Betty,"  I  interrupted,  impa- 
tiently, "  but  do  hurry  and  tell  me  what  happened." 

"  Well,  Miss  Polly,  Fs  tryin'  to,"  she  maintained, 
"  but  my  poor  head's  been  that  upset  wif  all  these 
here  confligrations  — " 

"  Did  you  go  down  to  Master  Will  when  you 
recognized  him?  "  I  demanded. 

"  Why  to  be  sure  I  did,  Miss  Polly,  right  away," 
she  replied. 

"  And  what  did  he  tell  you?  " 

"  Fust  of  all  he  was  fo'  gwin'  right  into  the 
house,"  Betty  explained,  once  more  upon  the  straight 
track  of  her  tale,  "  but  when  I  tells  him  that  the 
house  was  full  o'  them  unmannerly  red-coat  soldiers 
he  whistles  low,  like  he  was  surprised.  '  That's  no 
place  for  me,  Betty! '  he  says,  jes'  as  calm  as  calm. 
*  How's  that  rain-bar'el  o'  yours  —  empty,  eh  ?  '  and 
when  I  tells  him  it  were  he  says,  '  Let  Miss  Polly 
know,'  an'  off  he  goes  to  the  quarters  like  he  was 
gwin'  to  a  party.  An'  there  he  is  this  minute,  Miss 
Polly,"  she  ended. 

Ay,  there  he  was,  as  Betty  said,  and  there  he  was 
like  to  stay  for,  in  the  growing  light  I  could  see, 
through  the  window,  a  scarlet-coated  figure  with  a 
musket,  pacing  slowly  up  and  down  before  the  gar- 
den gate.  By  a  miracle  Will  had  managed  to  con- 
ceal himself  in  the  time  between  the  ending  of  the 
search  and  the  posting  of  the  guard.  So  far  luck 
had  been  with  him;  but  I  dreaded  the  days  to  come, 
though  as  yet  I  had  not  fully  fathomed  the  peril  of 
his  situation. 

My  first  desire  was  to  run  to  him,  to  see  with  my 
own  eyes  that  he  was  unhurt,  and  to  hear  how  it 
came  about  that  he  had  been  driven  back  after  so 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  279 

promising  a  start.  But  I  hesitated,  sensing  the  dan- 
ger though  not  entirely  realizing  it. 

"  Betty,"  I  said,  "  you  will  have  to  change  your 
room;  for  I  know  not  how  long  Master  Will  must 
stay  hidden." 

"  I'll  go  at  once,  Miss  Polly,"  she  answered,  mak- 
ing for  the  door. 

"  Nay,  there  must  be  no  haste,"  I  cautioned.  "  In 
a  hour  or  so  go  quietly,  as  if  naught  was  the  matter. 
And  Betty,  whisper  to  Master  Will  that  I  will  come 
to  him  as  soon  as  I  dare." 

"  I'll  tell  him,"  Betty  promised,  solemnly,  "  an' 
there  won't  be  no  'spectin'  me,  Miss  Polly;  but  if 
you-all  hears  me  a-singin'  fit  to  wake  the  dead,  you- 
all  can  reckon  I'm  havin'  a  conversation  wif  the  rain- 
bar'el." 

I  left  her  with  the  intention  of  going  straight  to 
mother  with  my  bad  tidings,  but  my  feet  lagged  upon 
the  road.  After  all  there  was  naught  to  be  gained 
by  telling  her  that  instead  of  being  safe,  as  she  be- 
lieved, Will  was  in  greater  danger  than  before.  If 
matters  so  shaped  themselves  that  I  stood  in  need 
of  her  advice,  then  I  would  break  the  news  as  gently 
as  I  might;  but  as  yet  I  had  not  the  heart  to  kill  the 
certainty  I  knew  she  had  that  Will  was  well  upon  his 
way  to  safety. 

I  guessed  that  this  forced  return  had  come  about 
through  the  great  fire  which  still  raged,  though  the 
angry  glare  of  the  flames  was  growing  paler  in  the 
light  of  the  slowly  rising  sun.  But  I  curbed  my  curi- 
osity about  that,  being  concerned  only  with  the  dread- 
ful fact  that  he  was  trapped  and  like  to  be  discovered 
at  any  moment. 

While  I  stood  hesitating  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
puzzling  over  what  steps  I  should  take  to  meet  this 
new  situation  and  dreading  mightily  lest  I  take  a 


280  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

false  one,  I  suddenly  became  conscious  of  Captain 
Dawson  saluting  me  gravely.  It  was  evident  at  once 
that  he  had  laid  aside,  for  the  time  being  at  least, 
his  mincing,  macaroni  manners,  though  he  still  re- 
tained his  courtesy. 

"  You  will  be  glad  to  know,  Mistress  Trotter," 
he  said,  "  that  the  fire  is  abating  and  that  we  stand 
in  no  danger." 

"  I  thank  you  for  telling  me,  Captain  Dawson," 
I  answered  politely,  for  though  an  enemy,  I  confess 
his  thoughtfulness  always  tempered  my  resentment 
against  him. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  all  my  news  is  not  so  good,"  he 
went  on,  soberly.  "  Certain  things  have  happened 
that  are  bound  to  make  our  relations  less  —  less  — 
what  shall  I  say  —  less  friendly?  " 

"  I  have  never  pretended  to  be  aught  but  a  pa- 
triot, sir,"  I  replied,  with  some  show  of  spirit,  though 
I  guessed  not  at  what  he  was  hinting. 

"Ay,  to  be  sure,"  he  agreed,  "  but  heretofore  you 
have  played  the  part  of  hostess  excellently  well,  while 
I  have  been  a  guest,  though  somewhat  unwelcome 
perchance." 

"  You  have  ever  been  most  considerate,  Captain 
Dawson,"  I  replied,  with  truth. 

"  I  am  much  gratified  to  learn  that  you  have  felt 
that  way  now  that  my  position  is  perforce  changed," 
he  remarked,  with  a  shade  of  regret  in  his  voice. 

"  Changed?  "  I  repeated. 

"  Ay,  from  guest  to  jailer,  Mistress  Trotter,"  he 
continued.  "  A  most  unwelcome  honour;  but,  in  this 
grim  game  of  chess  we  are  all  playing,  each  move  is 
a  gain  or  loss  to  one  side  or  the  other.  This  time 
we  have  won.  Captain  Nathan  Hale  of  your  Army, 
was  taken  last  night  in  Long  Island." 

I  do  not  think  Captain  Dawson  told  me  this  with 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  281 

any  intention  of  tricking  me  into  a  confession  of  my 
knowledge  of  poor  Captain  Hale,  but  so  unexpected 
was  the  announcement  that  I  was  completely  taken 
off  my  guard. 

"  Oh,  it  can't  be  true !  "  I  burst  out.  "  Not  taken ! 
You  can't  mean  he  is  a  prisoner?  " 

"  Yes,  a  prisoner,"  he  replied  quietly,  "  and  a  most 
interesting  one.  We  found  complete  details  of  his 
plans  hidden  in  his  boots." 

"In  his  boots!"  I  gasped,  feeling  as  if  an  icy 
hand  clutched  my  heart. 

"  Ay,"  said  the  captain,  not  seeming  to  notice  my 
agitation.  "  '.Tis  one  of  the  first  places  we  look 
when  we  lay  our  hands  upon  a  suspected  person." 

'Twas  then  the  full  peril  of  Will's  position  flashed 
upon  me.  In  his  boots,  too,  were  papers. 

"  And  what  will  they  do  with  this  Captain  Hale  ?  " 
I  asked,  struggling  to  hide  my  personal  concern. 

"  The  court  martial  will  sit  to-day,"  he  answered, 
"  but  there  can  only  be  one  outcome  to  their  delibera- 
tions. Captain  Hale  is  a  spy  and  his  life  is  forfeit." 

He  told  me  nothing  that  I  did  not  know  already, 
and  yet  the  quiet  certainty  with  which  he  spoke, 
seemed  to  close  the  door  to  all  hope  and  to  bring  the 
awful  reality  of  my  brother's  danger  close  home  to 
me. 

I  felt  that  I  must  speak.  That  for  Will's  sake  I 
should  deny  a  personal  interest  in  Captain  Hale's 
fate.  But  I  could  not  bring  my  tongue  to  shape  the 
words  and  my  brain  was  numb. 

Fortunately,  however,  Captain  Dawson  made  it 
plain  that  any  pretended  indifference  on  my  part 
would  but  confirm  his  already  settled  conviction. 

"  You  need  not  be  at  pains  to  conceal  your  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  Captain  Hale,  Mistress  Trot- 
ter," he  continued.  "  We  know  that  he  frequented 


282  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

this  house  ere  our  troops  took  the  city,  and  you  must 
have  been  well  acquainted  with  him." 

"  I  thought  he  was  a  traitor  when  he  came  with 
you !  "  I  cried,  scarce  knowing  what  I  said. 

"  And  I  that  he  was  a  schoolmaster,"  Captain 
Dawson  remarked  reminiscently.  "  To  be  sure  I 
might  have  guessed  that  no  provincial  pedagogue 
possessed  his  wit.  He  gulled  us  all,  and  that's  a 
fact;  but  'tis  past  and  done.  What  concerns  us 
now,  Mistress  Trotter,  is  what  happened  to  that  in- 
nocent box  of  pills  he  gave  you.  I  confess  to  a  very 
deep  interest  in  those  pills." 

"  They  have  been  destroyed,  sir.  My  mother  did 
not  care  to  take  them,"  I  answered,  for  I  had  burned 
every  scrap  in  the  kitchen  fire. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  he  replied,  and  there  was  a  note  of 
genuine  regret  in  his  voice,  "  though  indeed,  I  ex- 
pected it.  But  failing  their  recovery,  Mistress  Trot- 
ter, we  must  consider  you  and  your  mother  impli- 
cated with  the  unfortunate  Captain  Hale." 

"  How  can  that  be?  "  I  demanded,  staring  at  him 
in  consternation. 

"  Surely  you  cannot  think  we  are  so  stupid  as  to 
believe  there  was  naught  in  that  box  but  pills?  "  he 
protested.  "  And  moreover,  there  is  a  well-founded 
belief  that  your  brother  came  with  Hale  upon  this 
mission." 

"  Nay,  that  is  not  true !  "  I  declared,  glad  that  I 
could  state  the  fact  so  positively. 

"  I  hope  it  is  not,  for  your  sake,"  he  said. 
"  Nevertheless,  you  must  keep  to  the  house  until 
further  notice.  I  pray  you  do  not  make  my  task  of 
jailer  more  uncomfortable  than  it  already  is." 

"  May  I  not  even  go  into  the  garden?  "  I  asked, 
and  he  guessed  not  how  much  hung  upon  his  answer. 

"  Of  course  you  may  do  that,"  he  assented,  read- 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  283 

ily.  "  But  the  sentry  at  the  garden  gate  is  instructed 
to  permit  no  one  to  pass  either  in  or  out." 

'  And  how  are  we  to  obtain  food?  "  I  questioned. 

"  We  must  depend  upon  Betty,"  he  answered. 
"  She  is  a  good  cook,  I  grant  you,  but  I  doubt  her 
usefulness  as  a  go-between.  However,  to  avoid 
temptation  I  shall  send  a  guard  with  her  when  she 
goes  a-marketing." 

And  so  ended  our  talk.  Captain  Dawson  had  been 
at  pains  to  show  me  our  exact  position,  and  in  the 
process  had  all  but  broken  my  spirit.  I  went  back 
to  the  kitchen  and,  seating  myself  upon  a  chair,  stared 
blankly  at  the  wall.  I  was  ready  to  give  up ;  to  say 
to  myself  that  sooner  or  later  Will  would  surely  be 
taken;  that  like  Captain  Hale  his  life,  too,  was  for- 
feit. He  was  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  under  suspi- 
cion, watched  for  day  and  night,  driven  into  a 
corner  from  which  no  escape  seemed  possible.  To 
my  shame  I  confess  that  I  was  ready  to  admit  my- 
self beaten. 

Meanwhile  Betty  had  gone  back  to  the  servants' 
quarters  and  I  was  brought  to  my  senses  by  hearing 
her  chanting  a  darky  melody  at  the  top  of  her  voice. 
I  knew  well  enough  what  that  meant  and  the  thought 
came  to  me  that  here  was  a  good  chance  for  me  to 
see  Will.  I  had  no  fear  that  we  should  be  spied  on 
by  the  sentry,  in  the  garden,  for  the  top  of  the  cistern 
came  well  above  the  sill  of  the  window,  but  I  was  not 
so  sure  we  might  not  be  overheard  if  all  were  quiet. 
Therefore  I  deemed  it  wise  to  take  advantage  of 
Betty's  singing  to  hide  our  whispered  talk. 

The  sentry  eyed  me  sharply  as  I  passed  deliber- 
ately through  the  garden,  but  made  no  move  to  halt 
me,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  I  had  run  upstairs  to 
Betty's  room.  Her  song  stopped  abruptly  at  my 
appearance,  and  speaking  loudly  in  the  hope  that 


284  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

the  soldier  below  might  hear,  I  addressed  her  rather 
tartly. 

"  This  room  is  a  disgrace,  Betty !  "  I  cried.  "  Get 
a  besom  and  sweep  it  at  once." 

She  looked  at  me  in  wide-eyed  amazement,  for 
the  little  chamber  was  like  a  new  pin  for  neatness, 
and  opened  her  mouth  to  protest;  but  I  silenced  her 
with  a  gesture. 

"  Do  as  I  bid  you,"  I  murmured.  "  And  Betty, 
sing!  Sing  like  mad!  " 

She  understood  and  fetching  a  broom,  set  to  work 
with  a  will,  lifting  her  voice  lustily  the  while. 

Under  cover  of  this  racket  I  went  to  the  window 
next  the  rain-barrel. 

"Will,"  I  whispered.     "Will,  are  you  there?" 

"  Ay,  like  a  rat  in  a  trap,"  he  answered  with  a 
faint  chuckle.  "  Faith,  Polly  I  keep  turning  up  like 
a  bad  penny." 

;'  Was  it  the  fire?  "I  asked. 

4  Yes.  It  started  in  a  tavern  near  the  Whitehall 
Slip,"  he  told  me.  "  'Twas  raging  when  I  reached 
there  and,  foot  by  foot,  I  was  driven  back  till  there 
was  naught  else  for  me  to  do  but  come  here.  I'll 
try  again  to-night,  counting  upon  Robinson  to  guess 
what  hindered  me." 

"  Nay,  'tis  impossible,"  I  informed  him.  "  There 
is  a  sentry  posted  at  the  garden  gate,  night  and  day." 

"  'Twill  take  more  than  one  sentry  to  stop  me," 
he  answered.  "  I'll  make  short  work  of  him  in  the 
dark." 

"  But  the  city  is  being  searched  high  and  low  for 
you,"  I  went  on.  "  You  could  scarce  go  a  block 
without  being  halted.  Oh,  Will,  I  don't  know  how 
to  tell  you,  but  —  but  Captain  Hale  is  taken." 

"What!  Hale  taken?"  he  broke  out.  "It 
can't  be  true,  Polly!  " 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  285 

"  Oh,  but  it  is,  Will,"  I  declared.  "  That  Tory 
spy  recognized  him  and  set  them  on  his  trail.  Now 
they  are  after  you." 

He  was  silent  for  what  seemed  a  long  time  and  I 
knew  that  he  was  struggling  to  master  himself,  for 
the  news  I  had  given  him  went  straight  to  his  heart. 

"  Polly,"  he  said,  at  length,  his  voice  betraying 
the  emotion  he  felt,  "  did  you  hear  aught  of  the 
despatches  he  carried?" 

"  Ay,  they  found  them  in  his  boots,"  I  whispered. 

"Poor  Nathan  1  Poor  Nathan!"  he  repeated, 
and  I  needed  not  to  see  his  face  to  know  he  suffered 
sore.  "  He  was  the  brightest  spirit  in  our  army  and 
the  Cause  can  ill-afford  to  lose  him.  I  had  rather 
you  brought  me  news  of  a  lost  battle  than  this  cap- 
ture of  Nathan  Hale." 

"  Will  he  surely  be  put  to  death?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  see  naught  else  for  it,"  he  answered  sadly. 

"  And  is  there  no  way  to  save  him?  " 

"  None !  The  papers  he  carried  will  cut  him  off 
from  all  hope  of  clemency." 

"  Then  Will,  you  must  destroy  the  despatches  you 
carry,"  I  insisted. 

**  Never !  "  he  asserted,  positively.  "  That  poor 
Nathan  did  not  win  through  is  all  the  more  reason 
that  I  should  try.  The  plans  must  go  to  Washing- 
ton." 

"  But  think  of  yourself,  Will,"  I  begged,  selfishly, 
perhaps,  but  my  heart  was  nigh  torn  asunder. 

"  Polly,  you  don't  mean  that,"  he  replied  gently. 

"  Then  give  me  the  papers." 

"  No,  no,"  he  answered  hurriedly.  "  They  will 
be  searching  high  and  low  for  what  was  in  that  pill 
box.  They  were  fools  an  they  did  not  guess  now 
that  there  was  more  than  boluses  in  it." 

"  Ay,  Captain  Dawson  said  as  much,"  I  admitted. 


286  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  You  see,"  he  challenged.  "  They'll  be  on  the 
hunt  for  them." 

"  Then  you  must  destroy  them,  Will,"  I  persisted. 
"  Think  of  mother  if  aught  happens  to  you." 

"  Nay,  Polly,  do  not  press  me  further,"  he  de- 
clared. "  I  owe  it  to  Nathan  Hale  to  see  that  his 
life  is  not  given  in  vain.  I'll  take  the  despatches  to 
Washington  by  hook  or  crook.  Now  tell  me  exactly 
how  stands  the  case  against  us." 

While  Betty  continued  to  sing  I  recounted  my  talk 
with  Captain  Dawson  and  explained  what  arrange- 
ments had  been  made  to  keep  us  prisoners.  Will 
listened  attentively,  putting  in  a  question,  now  and 
then,  but  at  the  end  I  could  tell  from  the  sound 
of  his  voice  that  he  saw  no  ready  road  out  of  our 
perplexities. 

"  We'll  befool  them  yet,  Polly,"  he  said,  trying  to 
reassure  me,  but  his  words  lacked  conviction.  "  But 
we  must  not  be  in  haste,"  he  went  on.  "  I'm  safe 
enough  here  for  the  present  and  at  night  I  can  get 
out  and  stretch  a  bit.  Betty  can  bring  me  food 
then,  too.  Have  you  told  mother?" 

"  Not  yet,"  I  answered,  and  pointed  out  my  rea- 
sons for  keeping  her  in  ignorance. 

He  agreed  with  me  that  it  would  serve  no  good 
purpose  to  worry  her,  and,  at  that  I  left  him,  fear- 
ing that  suspicion  might  be  aroused  by  too  long  a 
stay. 

Betty  eyed  me  questioningly,  still  shouting  her 
song,  and  when  I  signalled  that  she  might  cease,  she 
ended  with  a  huge  sigh  of  relief. 

"  'Deed,  Miss  Polly,"  she  whispered,  "  it  am  sure 
mighty  hard  labour  to  sing  when  you  ain't  got  no 
heart  in  it." 

The  day  passed  without  further  incident  to  alarm 
me.  Both  Mr.  Scott  and  Captain  Dawson  were 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  287 

away  from  the  house  and  Major  Haughton  kept  to 
the  surgery.  At  night  I  stole  out  to  Will  for  a  final 
word  before  going  to  bed  and  was  relieved  to  find 
that  he  would  make  no  attempt  to  leave  his  hiding- 
place  for  the  present. 

"  I  have  decided  to  wait  awhile,  Polly,"  he  told 
me.  "  'Twould  be  folly  to  try  to  elude  them  while 
they  are  keen  to  take  me.  In  a  few  days,  an  they 
find  me  not,  their  interest  will  wane.  Doubtless  they 
will  conclude  ere  long  that  I  am  back  in  our  own 
camp  and  their  vigilance  will  be  abated.  Then  will 
be  my  chance.  So,"  he  concluded,  "  you  are  to  have 
me  on  your  hands  for  some  time, yet." 

I  could  in  truth  tell  him  that  I  was  glad  to  find 
that  he  had  come  to  so  sensible  a  decision,  for  I  was 
convinced  that  he  was  doomed  the  moment  he  left 
the  rain-barrel.  On  the  other  hand  my  nerves  were 
on  the  stretch  for  fear  some  accident  would  betray 
his  hiding-place,  and  the  papers  in  his  boots  weighed 
upon  my  thoughts  like  lead. 

Nor  was  my  task  of  seeming  cheerful  before 
mother  an  easy  one.  'Twas  no  simple  matter  to 
hide  my  real  feelings  from  her,  and  when  we  went  to 
bed  I  had  liefer  wept  my  eyes  out  upon  her  com- 
forting shoulder  than  pretend  to  believe  Will  was 
safe  and  sound  on  Harlem  Heights. 

Next  morning,  Betty,  under  the  escort  of  a  British 
soldier  who  carried  the  basket  and  so  reconciled  her 
in  a  measure  to  his  presence,  went  forth  to  buy  pro- 
visions for  our  household. 

I  was  busy  in  the  kitchen  when  she  returned  and 
but  half-heeded  her  chatter  as  she  recounted  her  ex- 
periences. She  bemoaned  the  high  price  and  scant 
choice  of  food,  but  this  was  an  old  story  which 
seemed  to  have  no  ending.  I  was  indifferently  aware 
that  she  was  unpacking  the  basket,  when  she  gave 


288  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

an  exclamation  of  surprise  that  claimed  my  instant 
attention. 

"  Fo'  the  land  sakes  1  Somebody  am  writin'  me 
a  love  letter  I  do  believe!  "  she  burst  out  with  a 
laugh,  and  I  looked  to  see  her  holding  a  square  piece 
of  white  paper  with  the  writing  upside  down. 

Instinctively,  for  my  anxiety  kept  me  always  on  the 
alert  to  divert  suspicion,  I  ran  to  her  with  a  warn- 
ing on  my  lips. 

"  Be  careful,  Betty,"  I  whispered,  and  took  the 
missive,  concealing  it  beneath  my  kerchief  until  I  was 
sure  I  was  unobserved.  'Twould  be  easily  possible 
for  the  sentry  outside  to  see  us  through  the  window 
and  in  my  then  state  of  mind  I  was  fearful  of  my 
very  shadow. 

When  assured  that  no  one  could  surprise  me,  I 
looked  at  the  paper  and  found  written  thereon  the 
following  : 

"  If  Mistress  Trotter,  her  mother  and  black  Betty 
will  be  at  the  garden  gate  to-night,  two  hours  after 
midnight,  they  will  find  a  chariot  to  take  them  out 
of  the  city.  Fail  not  to  be  ready  at  the  appointed 
time.  Fear  naught,  keep  silent.  All  will  be  well  if 
this  note  is  followed  to  the  letter." 

'Twas  writ  in  a  crabbed  hand,  plain  enough  to 
read,  but  giving  no  clue  to  him  who  penned  it. 

"  Where  found  you  this?  "  I  asked  excitedly. 

"  'Twas  in  a  packet  from  the  butter  and  eggs 
man,"  Betty  answered,  referring  to  a  trusty  farmer 
from  whom  we  had  bought  these  commodities  for 
many  years. 

"  Did  he  say  aught  to  you?  "  I  questioned. 

"  No'm,  not  a  word,  Miss  Polly,"  she  returned. 
"  He  didn't  even  look  nuffin'.  I  was  that  unsus- 
pectin'  I  jes'  opened  the  bundle  an'  there  was  that 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  289 

letter  slap  on  the  bottom  of  a  butter  print.  What 
is  it,  Miss  Polly?" 

"  'Tis  a  message  from  father,  Betty,"  I  said. 
"  We  are  going  out  of  the  city  to-night." 

"  Glory  be  1  "  she  exclaimed,  fervently. 

"  Hush  I  "  I  warned  her,  "  not  so  loud.  I  must 
to  Master  Will  with  this.  See  to  it  that  you  do 
naught  to  betray  us." 

Conscious  of  the  soldier  on  guard  I  loitered  about 
the  garden  on  my  way  to  the  servants'  quarters,  but 
once  inside,  I  fairly  flew  to  Betty's  room. 

My  voice  dropped  to  a  low  whisper,  I  told  Will 
my  news  and  read  to  him  the  message. 

"  But  'tis  not  writ  in  father's  hand,"  I  explained. 

"  Nay,  of  course  not,"  Will  replied.  "  Father 
dare  not  come  himself.  'Tis  some  one  of  our 
friends  he  has  been  planning  with.  But  Polly,  they 
know  not  of  the  sentry  at  the  garden  gate  nor  of  my 
being  here." 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  the  sentry,"  I  murmured  in  dismay. 

"  Be  not  cast  down  on  that  account,"  Will  reas- 
sured me.  "  I'll  see  to  that  gentleman !  But  some- 
how I  fear  a  trick." 

'  Trick !     What  kind  of  a  trick?  "  I  asked. 

"  Of  course  I  cannot  be  sure,"  he  explained,  "  Na- 
than told  us  father  had  some  such  thought  in  his 
mind,  but  every  Whig  in  the  city  is  suspect  and  I 
scarce  see  how  they  would  dare  to  drive  a  coach  out 
of  the  town  even  at  night.  None  but  an  officer  of 
their  own  army  could  do  that,  or  I'm  very  much  mis- 
taken. It  smacks  of  the  impossible." 

"  Then  you  think  we  had  best  not  heed  the 
note  ?  "  I  questioned. 

"  Nay,  you  and  mother  and  Betty  must  go,  of 
course,"  he  declared. 


290  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  And  you,  too,"  I  insisted. 

"  That  needs  thinking  over,"  he  replied,  and  for 
a  while  was  silent.  "  Listen,  Polly,"  he  went  on 
presently.  "  If  'tis  a  trick  it  must  be  planned  to 
catch  me.  The  British  may  guess  that  we  are  in 
communication  and  that  you  would  send  me  word 
of  this  chance  to  escape.  They  may  only  purpose  to 
drive  from  the  back  to  the  front  of  the  house  after 
taking  me.  That  is,  if  the  British  are  at  the  bottom 
of  it.  On  the  other  hand  it  may  be  from  father  and 
mean  exactly  what  it  says." 

"  But  how  will  we  know  which  without  your  be- 
ing taken?  " 

"  We  must  risk  something,"  he  said  thoughtfully, 
"  for  it  seems  too  good  an  opportunity  to  let  slip. 
This  is  what  I  propose  we  shall  do.  First  of  all, 
have  Betty  fetch  me  some  stout  cord  and  a  coffee  sack 
when  she  comes  up  to  bed.  Then,  half  an  hour 
before  the  chariot  is  to  be  here,  do  you  come  down 
into  the  garden  and  engage  the  sentry  in  talk. 
While  you  are  doing  this  I  shall  seize  him,  covering 
his  head  so  that  he  makes  no  outcry." 

"  And  I  shall  manoeuvre  him  so  that  he  has  his 
back  to  you,  if  I  can,"  I  cut  in,  carried  away  a  little 
at  the  prospect. 

"  Ay,  that's  your  part,"  Will  assented. 

"  But  I  don't  quite  see  — "  I  began. 

"  You  will  in  a  moment,"  he  interrupted.  "  I 
shall  drag  the  sentry  into  the  wash-house  and  put  on 
his  uniform.  Then  I  shall  come  back  and  take  his 
place.  If  the  carriage  brings  friends  I  can  go  off 
with  you.  If  not,  I  have  a  chance  to  escape  in  a 
red  coat." 

That  then  was  the  plan,  and  throughout  the  rest 
of  that  day  until  the  time  came  for  me  to  act,  I 
thought  of  naught  else.  Mother  took  the  news 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  291 

calmly  and  thankfully,  no  doubt  entering  her  mind 
that  all  would  be  well,  as  the  message  foretold,  in- 
deed the  prospect  of  escape  from  the  city  seemed 
to  give  her  new  strength.  Betty,  to  whom  I  gave 
careful  instructions,  made  her  preparations  with 
more  composure  than  I  expected,  going  off  to  bed 
with  the  bag  and  cord  under  her  apron  and  with  a 
grin  of  pleasure  at  the  prospect  of  soon  being  out  of 
the  clutches  of  the  British. 

Mother  and  I  were  dressed  warmly  for  the  jour- 
ney long  ere  the  time  came,  and  at  half-past  one  I 
left  the  room  explaining  that  I  went  to  reconnoitre. 
I  reached  the  garden  without  hindrance  and  made 
my  way  to  the  gate. 

There  was  no  moon  but  the  sky  was  clear  and  the 
stars  shone  brightly,  so  that  there  was  light  enough 
to  see  the  red-coated  soldier  pacing  slowly  up  and 
down. 

As  I  approached  him  he  stopped  and  halted  me  in 
an  undertone. 

"  Why  are  you  not  in  bed,  Missy?  "  he  asked,  as 
he  recognized  me. 

"  Indeed,  I  could  not  sleep,"  I  answered  with  per- 
fect truth. 

*  You'd  best  go  back,"  he  said,  suspiciously. 

"  Nay,  I  can  do  no  harm  talking  to  you,"  I  replied 
and,  walking  around  him,  stood  fronting  the 
quarters. 

As  I  expected,  he  moved  to  face  me,  standing 
stiffly  before  the  gate. 

"  Isn't  it  very  lonely  out  here  at  night?  "  I  asked 
him,  struggling  to  keep  down  the  excitement  that 
threatened  to  betray  me. 

"  Ay,  that  it  is,  Missy,"  he  answered.  "  There's 
times  when  the  hours  crawl  like  lame  snails.  But 
we  grow  used  to  it." 


292  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Of  course  it's  your  duty,"  I  murmured,  finding 
it  most  difficult  to  make  conversation. 

"  There's  always  some  duty  — ,"  he  began,  but  at 
that  moment  his  head  was  jerked  back  and  the  coffee- 
sack  pulled  over  it.  There  was  a  short,  sharp  strug- 
gle, but  Will  was  strong  and  in  a  moment  or  two 
the  sentry  was  on  the  ground  with  never  a  sound  out 
of  him. 

With  quick  fingers  Will  tied  the  bag  about  the 
man's  head  and  together  we  trussed  him  up  in  short 
order. 

"  In  with  you,  Polly,"  Will  whispered,  starting  to 
drag  our  poor  victim  into  the  wash-house.  "  Do 
not  come  again  until  the  stroke  of  two." 

I  left  him,  meaning  to  go  at  once  to  mother's  room, 
but  in  the  kitchen  I  lingered,  staring  out  of  the  win- 
dow to  see  how  Will  fared.  I  had  not  long  to  wait 
for  presently,  I  saw  a  figure  steal  forth  and  a  mo- 
ment later  my  brother  was  pacing  slowly  up  and 
down  before  the  gate  with  a  musket  over  his  shoul- 
der. 

So  far  all  was  well,  and  I  mounted  the  stairs  with 
the  growing  certainty  that  at  last  we  should  escape. 
Mother  and  I,  hand  in  hand,  sat  patiently  while  the 
few  remaining  minutes  crawled  by,  then,  as  the  little 
French  clock  on  the  dresser  began  to  strike  two,  we 
rose  and  started  down. 

Without  mishap  we  reached  the  garden  where 
Betty,  looming  large  in  the  darkness,  met  us,  and  to- 
gether we  made  our  way  to  the  gate,  which,  to  my 
surprise  stood  open.  Outside  we  found  a  chariot, 
drawn  by  two  horses,  and  without  a  word  to  the 
muffled  figure  on  the  front  seat,  we  mounted  the 
steps. 

But  of  Will  there  was  no  sign.     Inside  the  car- 


Betty  Goes  a-Marketing  293 

riage,  where  I  had  thought  to  find  him  we  three  were 
the  only  occupants  and,  as  we  started  off,  my  heart 
sank  with  apprehension. 

What  had  become  of  the  substitute  sentry? 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

IN   THE   WOODS   ON    HARLEM   HEIGHTS 

SO  convinced  was  I  that  the  trick  Will  had  feared 
was  being  played  on  us  that  I  looked  to  find 
the  chariot  halted  in  a  moment  or  two  at  the 
front  door  of  the  house.  I  was  certain  that  we  had 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  our  enemies.  By  no  other 
explanation  could  I  account  for  my  brother's  dis- 
appearance. Whether  he  had  been  taken  or,  see- 
ing the  peril  in  time,  had  made  off  in  the  uniform  of 
the  sentry,  I  had  no  means  of  knowing;  but  I  ex- 
pected my  doubts  would  be  resolved  shortly. 
Those  British  officers  who  were  at  the  bottom  of  this 
plot,  would  presently  open  the  door  of  the  carriage 
and  escort  us  back  to  our  prison  with  lame  excuses 
for  having  put  us  to  so  much  inconvenience,  or  with 
half-concealed  smiles  of  triumph. 

This,  I  confess,  is  what  I  anticipated  in  the  first 
five  minutes  after  we  had  entered  the  chariot;  but 
nothing  of  the  sort  happened.  We  went  straight  on 
until  the  cessation  of  the  rattling  of  the  wheels  told 
me  that  we  had  left  the  cobble  streets  of  the  city  be- 
hind and  were  on  the  country  roads  leading  out  of 
the  town. 

I  puzzled  my  brains  a-new,  but  came  on  no  satis- 
factory key  to  the  riddle.  We  seemed  to  be  set  upon 
the  way  of  escape,  yet  Will's  absence  made  that 
happy  outcome  most  unlikely. 

At  length  I  ceased  to  speculate  further  and  settled 
down  to  await  what  was  before  us  with  as  much  pa- 

294 


In  the  Woods  on  Harlem  Heights       295 

tience  as  I  could  muster.  The  curtains  of  the  chariot 
were  drawn  so  that  we  sat  in  absolute  darkness,  hav- 
ing but  the  slightest  notion  of  the  direction  in  which 
we  travelled  and  wholly  at  the  mercy  of  the  driver, 
of  whom  I  had  caught  but  a  fleeting  glimpse. 

At  the  start  we  had  gone  very  slowly  but  increased 
our  pace  when,  as  I  judged,  we  had  left  the  city  well 
behind.  Still,  at  best,  our  progress  was  by  no  means 
rapid,  for  the  state  of  the  roads  made  fast  travelling 
impossible. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  mayhap,  the  raised  voice 
of  a  sentry  challenging  our  further  progress  halted 
us  abruptly.  Our  driver  replied,  but  in  so  muffled 
a  voice  that  I  could  gather  neither  the  import  nor 
the  manner  of  his  greeting.  A  low-tone  conversa- 
tion followed,  the  quick  exchange  of  what  were  evi- 
dently countersigns,  though  I  could  not  distinguish 
them,  and  a  moment  later  we  were  off  again. 

'Twas  plain  that  he  who  conducted  our  journey 
was  well  prepared  to  pass  through  the  British  lines, 
if  he  were  so  disposed.  Of  that  I  was  as  yet  in  no 
wise  convinced  and  when,  ten  minutes  later  we  were 
stopped  once  more,  I  did  not  think  it  unlikely  that  we 
had  reached  the  end  of  this  adventure  and  would 
find  ourselves  still  prisoners  of  the  British  but  in  a 
less  comfortable  jail.  I  could  not  rid  myself  of  the 
significance  with  which  Captain  Dawson  had  re- 
marked that  we  were  implicated  with  the  unfortunate 
Captain  Hale.  That  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  only 
theory  that  would  fit  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  I 
awaited  the  final  proof  with  despair  in  my  heart. 

The  commotion  caused  by  our  arrival  at  this  new 
post  seemed  to  set  a  seal  of  certainty  upon  my  worst 
fears.  From  the  sound  of  the  many  voices  that 
reached  us  I  judged  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  con- 
siderable camp.  Through  the  cracks  of  the  curtains 


296  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

lights  gleamed  now  and  then,  while  shouted  orders 
and  the  noise  of  running  feet  appeared  to  indicate 
that  our  arrival  had  created  a  considerable  stir. 

I  heard  the  murmured  answers  of  our  driver  but 
could  not  distinguish  his  words  and  so  caught  no 
clue  to  what  was  going  on ;  but  suddenly  the  door  of 
the  carriage  was  jerked  open  and  a  young  lieutenant, 
with  a  frank  boyish  face,  thrust  a  lanthorn  into  our 
compartment. 

"  Your  pardon,  ladies  I  "  he  remarked,  as  he  sur- 
veyed us,  and  without  further  comment  withdrew, 
shutting  us  in  once  more. 

"A  special  mission,  eh?"  I  heard  him  say,  and 
then,  as  the  driver  muttered  an  answer,  he  gave  the 
order  to  let  us  pass,  and  again  we  rumbled  on. 

Once  more  I  had  been  mistaken,  and  my  tired 
brain  refused  to  speculate  further  upon  the  strange- 
ness of  these  proceedings.  Had  it  not  been  for  Will's 
unaccountable  absence  I  could  have  let  myself  hope 
that  father's  friends  were  taking  us  to  him,  but  even 
if  this  were  happily  true  my  brother  had  been  left 
behind  and  he  had  in  his  boots  that  which  would 
make  his  life  not  worth  a  penny's  purchase. 

Mother  and  Betty  were  very  silent,  so  that  at  last 
I  dozed,  and  'tis  small  wonder  I  did,  seeing  that  I 
was  nigh  worn  out  with  anxieties  and  fatis^ie. 

.,0     rrhb 

I  awoke  with  a  start  to  hear  a  man  'if*  just 

outside  the  carriage  and  I  shall  nevfi-  ^rget  his 
words. 

"  Here  comes  Captain  Hamilton,  sir,"  he  said, 
and  at  that  I  knew  that  we  had  reached  the  patriot 
camp  on  Harlem  Heights.  With  a  cry  of  joy  I 
threw  open  the  door  and  leaped  to  the  ground. 

The  daylight  had  come  and  I  found  myself  in  a 
deep  wood,  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  huts  of 


In  the  Woods  on  Harlem  Heights        297 

our  soldiers.  The  sun  had  not  yet  risen  but  the 
men  were  astir,  and  in  and  out  of  the  dark  shadows 
of  the  tall  trees,  the  cheerful  campfires  burned 
brightly.  A  half-dozen  Continental  solders  were 
grouped  about  us,  looking  none  too  cordial;  but  as 
I  stepped  out  one  of  them  gave  an  exclamation  of 
astonishment  and  welcome. 

"  Burn  me  1  "  he  cried,  "  'Tis  the  coffee  gal  come 
back  to  us!  " 

I  turned  a  beaming  face  upon  him  and  would  have 
replied,  but  at  the  same  moment  Mr.  Hamilton  came 
up  to  me. 

"  Mistress  Trotter!  "  he  called,  as  he  caught  sight 
of  me.  "  I'm  right  glad  to  see  you.  They  told  me 
they  had  bagged  some  Tories." 

"  Nay,  there's  only  mother  and  me  and  Betty,"  I 
answered,  holding  out  my  hand  to  him  in  greeting, 
"  and  we  are  all  stout  Whigs  still." 

'  You  need  not  have  told  me  that,"  he  answered. 

"  Do  you  know  where  father  may  be  found?  "  I 
asked,  eagerly. 

"  Ay,  he's  not  far  away.  I'll  send  for  him," 
and  he  gave  the  necessary  order.  "  Now  take  me 
to  your  mother,"  he  went  on,  "  that  I  may  pay  my 
respects  to  her." 

We  started  back  to  the  carriage,  but  as  we  did 
so  the  ame  down  from  the  front  seat  and 

faced 

Foi  cnt  I  could  not  believe  my  eyes  for 

there,  among  his  enemies  and  dressed  as  a  civilian 
stood  Roger  Delancy ! 

While  one  could  count  ten  slowly  we  three  gazed 
at  each  other  in  silence,  then,  as  the  truth  dawned 
upon  me,  I  went  to  him. 

"Was  it  you  who  brought  us  here,  Roger?"  I 
faltered. 


298  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

"  Ay,"  he  answered,  with  a  sober  smile  upon  his 
lips,  "Art  sorry,  Polly?" 

"  Nay  —  but  —  but  — "  I  stopped,  finding  no 
words  to  tell  him  what  was  in  my  heart  for  I  saw 
clearly  that  'twas  Roger  and  not  father  who  had 
contrived  to  bring  us  safely  out  of  the  city.  I  could 
but  give  him  my  hand,  which  he  took  eagerly,  and  I 
think  he  lacked  not  understanding  of  my  gratitude. 

Roger  and  I  forgot  our  surroundings  for  the  mo- 
ment, but  Mr.  Hamilton  brought  us  to  our  senses. 

"  Mr.  Delancy,"  he  said,  in  a  cold  formal  tone, 
"  I  find  you  within  our  lines  out  of  uniform.  'Tis 
but  fair  to  tell  you  that  we  are  in  no  complacent 
mood  to  deal  with  spies.  But  yesterday  Captain 
Hale  — " 

"  Ah,  you've  had  that  news?  "  Roger  interrupted, 
his  voice  falling. 

"  Ay,  such  news  travels  fast,"  Mr.  Hamilton  re- 
plied. "  'Tis  the  fortune  of  war,  but  I  would  that 
Fate  had  spared  so  gallant  a  gentleman." 

"  Is  Captain  Hale  dead?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes.  Yesterday  morning  at  daylight  the  Brit- 
ish hanged  him,"  Mr.  Hamilton  answered,  bitterly. 

"  Oh,  they  are  cruel  1  "  I  murmured,  tears  coming 
into  my  eyes. 

"  Nay,  we  cannot  complain  if  General  Howe  sees 
fit  to  execute  a  spy,"  Mr.  Hamilton  replied. 

"But  we  may  complain  of  the  manner  of  it!" 
Roger  broke  in  passionately.  "  'Twill  be  to  the 
everlasting  disgrace  of  the  British  forces  in  America 
that  so  foul  a  man  as  Cunningham  could  torture  a 
brave  and  honest  gentleman  like  Nathan  Hale." 

"  Torture !  "  cried  Mr.  Hamilton,  in  a  loud  voice. 
"  What  mean  you,  man?  " 

"  Not  bodily  torture,"  Roger  answered,  "  but  tor- 
ture of  the  soul.  Cunningham,  like  the  brute  that 


In  the  Woods  on  Harlem  Heights       299 

he  is,  would  not  even  give  his  prisoner  a  Bible  for 
final  consolation.  Hale  begged  for  means  to  write 
his  farewell  letters;  but  his  requests  were  refused. 
I  was  on  guard  and  gave  him  pen  and  paper  in  spite 
of  orders,  but  on  the  morrow  they  found  his  last 
messages  and  tore  them  up  before  his  eyes.  Cun- 
ningham vowed  the  rebels  should  not  learn  that  they 
had  a  man  who  could  die  with  such  firmness;  but  they 
shall  learn.  I  saw  him  die,  and  never  was  there 
a  braver  man  born  than  this  same  Nathan  Hale." 

There  was  no  word  spoken  for  a  time  after 
Roger's  outburst  and  then  Mr.  Hamilton  broke  the 
silence. 

"  This  does  not  explain,  Delancy,"  he  said,  with 
measured  accents,  "  why  you  are  in  our  camp  out  of 
your  uniform." 

"  It  is  because  I  have  quit  His  Majesty's  service," 
Roger  answered.  "  My  resignation  is  now  in  Gen- 
eral Howe's  hands.  I  cannot  in  honour  betray  what 
plans  are  a-foot  in  the  British  army,  but  if  my  poor 
abilities  can  do  aught  to  thwart  them  I  am  at  your 
command.  And  Hamilton,"  he  added,  stepping  for- 
ward, "  I  once  refused  to  take  your  hand.  I  was 
wrong  then  but  I  have  learned  better.  Will  you 
take  mine  now?  " 

"  With  all  my  heart!  "  cried  Hamilton,  seizing  it 
eagerly.  "  I  never  doubted  your  intentions,  De- 
lancy, and  a  man  who  can  frankly  own  himself  in  the 
wrong  is  to  be  counted  doubly  honest.  We're  right 
glad  to  have  you,  and  I  doubt  not  His  Excellency 
will  be  quick  to  find  a  place  for  you." 

'Twas  then  that  father  came  running  and  soon  he 
and  mother  and  I  were  hugging  each  other,  so  over- 
joyed to  be  together  again  that  we  laughed  and  cried 
by  turns.  But  there  was  one  matter  that  dulled  the 
edge  of  my  happiness.  I  knew  that  it  must  be  but  a 


300  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

few  minutes  ere  mother  asked  for  Will,  and  with 
this  in  mind  I  went  quickly  to  Roger  who,  with  Mr. 
Hamilton,  stood  talking  a  little  distance  away. 

"  Roger,"  I  said,  "  did  you  see  aught  of  a  sentry 
at  our  garden  gate?  " 

"  Save  us!  "  he  cried.  "  I'd  forgot  all  about  the 
fellow.  I  brought  him  with  us,  fearing  he  would 
raise  an  alarm." 

"Brought  him  with  us?"  I  repeated,  not  at  all 
comprehending. 

"  Ay,"  he  answered  with  a  chuckle.  "  You  see, 
Polly,  I  had  to  silence  him  so  I  crept  up  behind  him, 
clapping  a  sack  over  his  head  and  ere  he  knew  what 
was  going  on  I  had  him  trussed  up  like  a  fowl.  He 
was  a  sturdy  rascal,  but  I  made  short  work  of  him." 

"  But  what  did  you  do  with  him?  "  I  cried,  in  an 
agony  of  suspense. 

"  Faith,  I  just  dumped  him  into  the  rumble-tumble 
of  the  chariot,"  said  Roger,  not  at  all  understanding 
why  I  should  be  so  much  interested  in  a  British  pri- 
vate. "  Come,  I'll  let  him  out." 

We  hurried  to  the  basket  at  the  back  of  the  chariot 
where  boxes  may  be  stowed,  and  there,  gagged  and 
bound,  lay  my  poor  brother. 

Roger  untied  him,  took  the  sack  off  his  head  and 
with  a  great  shout  of  surprise  stepped  back. 

"  Will !     Will !  "  he  cried.     "  Can  it  be  you  ?  " 

Nor  was  my  brother  less  astonished.  He  stood 
gazing  from  one  to  the  other  of  us  as  if  he  could 
scarce  believe  his  eyes  and  we  stared  back  at  him, 
for  in  the  daylight  he  made  a  comical  figure  in  his  ill- 
fitting  scarlet  uniform.  Then  mother  spied  him  and, 
caring  naught  for  his  looks,  took  him  in  her  arms. 

'Twas  no  easy  matter  to  explain  all  the  events  that 
had  brought  us  together  in  safety,  but  I  was  too 
happy  to  care  greatly  whether  or  not  it  was  all  un- 


In  the  Woods  on  Harlem  Heights        301 

derstood.  Will  was  in  no  wise  hurt,  but  vowed, 
jestingly,  that  he  would  pay  Roger  back  for  his  rough 
handling,  though  he  rejoiced  mightily  that  his  old 
friend  had  quitted  our  enemies. 

"  'Twas  that  he  was  so  good  a  fighter  I  was 
grieved  to  see  him  with  the  bloody-backs,"  declared 
Will. 

"  We'll  give  him  plenty  of  that  to  do,"  replied 
Hamilton,  and  then,  sorrowfully,  "  Did  you  hear  the 
news  of  poor  Hale?  " 

"  I  knew  that  he  was  taken,"  Will  replied,  "  and 
guessed  the  worst,  but  I  have  copies  of  his  des- 
patches." 

"You!  What?"  cried  Hamilton,  stuttering  in 
his  surprise.  "  You  have  his  despatches?  " 

"  Ay,"  answered  Will,  and  tapped  his  boot. 

"  'Tis  glorious !  "  said  Mr.  Hamilton,  with  marked 
emotion.  "  He  will  not  have  died  in  vain  now. 
You  must  to  His  Excellency  with  them  at  once." 

"  Ay,  they  make  interesting  reading,"  declared 
Will,  and  a  moment  later  they  went  off  together. 

So,  on  a  sudden,  I  found  myself  alone  with  Roger 
and,  for  some  cause  I  could  not  explain,  I  felt  very 
shy.  And  yet  my  heart  was  singing  a  song  of  glad- 
ness for  now  there  was  no  war  'twixt  my  fondness 
for  him  and  my  patriotism. 

"Polly,  are  we  friends  now?"  he  asked  pres- 
ently. 

"  Of  course,  Roger,"  I  answered.  "  But  tell  me, 
how  did  it  come  about?  " 

"  'Twas  Nathan  Hale  brought  me  to  my  senses," 
he  began.  "  They  put  me  to  guard  him  that  night 
before  he  died,  thinking,  no  doubt,  to  teach  a  lesson 
to  a  luke-warm  provincial." 

"  Did  you  talk  to  him,  Roger?  " 

"  Ay,  fitfully  at  first,  but  'twas  when  we  spoke  of 


302  Polly  Trotter,  Patriot 

you  that  our  tongues  were  loosened.  He  put  it  into 
my  mind  to  take  you  and  Madam  Trotter  out  of  the 
city.  Not  in  so  many  words,  perchance,  but  he 
played  on  my  dull  wits  till  I  came  to  see  that  I  was 
but  helping  those  who  would  make  slaves  of  us. 
He  railed  not  at  the  King,  even,  nor  had  he  a  hard 
word  of  reproach  for  those  who  were  to  hang  him. 
He  thought  not  of  himself  nor  of  his  fate.  But  for 
the  cause  of  liberty  in  this  dear  land  of  ours  he  had 
burning  words  that  shook  my  faith  in  all  the  things 
I  had  believed  in." 

"  He  was  indeed  a  patriot,"  I  murmured. 

"  Ay,  that  he  was !  "  Roger  replied.  "  Yet  'twas 
not  so  much  what  he  said  but  how  he  died  that 
brought  me  to  a  better  understanding.  Cunningham 
commanded  that  I  should  form  one  of  his  escort, 
though  I  would  have  given  much  to  have  escaped  that 
duty,  but  now  —  well,  now  I  am  not  sorry  I  was 
there,  for  I  saw  as  brave  a  man  as  ever  lived  face 
death  with  a  smile  upon  his  lips." 

Unconsciously  we  had  walked  slowly  into  the 
woods  and  paced  on  in  silence  for  a  time. 

;<  Tell  me  about  him,  Roger,"  I  begged. 

"  Ah,  if  I  had  a  gift  of  words  like  Hamilton,"  he 
sighed. 

"  Nay,  I  want  no  oratory,"  I  protested.  "  Tell 
me  how  you  felt  yourself." 

"  I  scarce  can,  Polly,"  he  went  on.  "  I  forgot 
all  about  myself  and  knew  only  that  for  me  all 
things  were  changed.  Till  I  die  I  shall  remember 
the  last  glimpse  I  had  of  him  as  he  stood  looking  out 
across  the  land  he  loved.  He  saw  not  the  rabble 
below,  with  the  snarling  Cunningham  at  their  head, 
and  I  know  that  there  was  no  hate  in  his  heart  even 
for  the  brute  that  tried  to  break  his  spirit.  Then, 
suddenly,  there  came  a  hush,  even  the  birds  stopped 


In  the  Woods  on  Harlem  Heights       303 

their  morning-song  as  if  to  listen,  and  Hale,  as  if 
addressing  a  world  unseen  spoke  slowly.  '  I  only 
regret  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  lose  for  my  coun- 
try,' he  said,  and  oh,  Polly,  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
those  words  have  sunk  into  my  heart.  I  covered  my 
face  with  my  hand  and  turned  away  resolved  on  the 
moment,  that  although  mine  was  a  poor  life  to  give 
in  exchange  I  should  bring  it  to  the  cause  Hale  died 
for.  That  is  why  I  am  here,  Polly.  I,  too,  want  to 
be  a  patriot." 

I  could  not  speak,  and  indeed  there  was  little  need 
of  words  between  us;  but  I  looked  up  into  his  face 
and  he  read  in  my  eyes  that  which  I  no  longer  wished 
to  hide  from  him.  And  it  seemed  to  make  him  very 
happy,  for  he  seized  my  hands  and  kissed  them. 


THE   END 


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